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A SENIOR Tory has been ridiculed for appearing to confuse Rwanda and the neighbouring country it is fighting.

Home Office minister Chris Philp asked whether “Rwanda is a different country from Congo” on BBC TV’s Question Time.

Home Office minister Chris Philp asked whether 'Rwanda is a different country from Congo' on BBC TV’s Question Time
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Home Office minister Chris Philp asked whether 'Rwanda is a different country from Congo' on BBC TV’s Question TimeCredit: PA
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting looked bemused by his answer
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Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting looked bemused by his answerCredit: PA

His comment, coming the day his government’s Rwanda deportation plan became law, brought laughter from the audience.

He was responding to a question from an audience member on whether his family from the Democratic Republic of Congo would be sent to Rwanda if they came to the UK — despite long-standing tensions between the two African countries.

Mr Philp said: “No, I think there’s an exclusion on people from Rwanda being sent to Rwanda.”

When the audience member shouted out to correct him, Mr Philp then asked: “Well, Rwanda is a different country from Congo, isn’t it? It’s a different country?”

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Fellow panellist Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting looked bemused by his answer.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper later said: “No words.”

Shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said the Government was sending £576million to a country they “couldn’t even pick out on a map”.

Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney said Thursday night’s exchange, showed that this was “not a serious government”.

An ally of Mr Philp suggested his was a rhetorical question.

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The Question Time crowd ridiculed the politician
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The Question Time crowd ridiculed the politicianCredit: PA
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