Rwanda bill – latest: Rishi Sunak dealt blow as Lee Anderson joins rebellion ahead of crunch vote
Lee Anderson #LeeAnderson
Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith have both resigned as Tory Deputy Chairmen so they can rebel against Rishi Sunak on his flagship Rwanda immigration plan.
The pair said in a joint resignation letter that “whilst our main wish is to strengthen the legislation, this means that in order to vote for amendments we will therefore need to offer you our resignations from our rules”.
They said it was “important in terms of credibility that we are consistent” on arguing that safeguards must be put in place to ensure the Government’s flagship asylum policy is legally watertight.
Jane Stevenson, Kemi Badenoch’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, also voted against the party whip and resigned promptly.
With 60 Tories voting against the government he scope of the rebellion would be more than enough to sink the Bill and overturn the Government’s working majority of 54 if it were repeated at its final Commons hurdle which is expected later on Wednesday.
It comes as MPs voted 525 to 58, against Conservative former minister Robert Jenrick’s amendment, which was aimed at severely limiting individual asylum seekers’ ability to appeal against being put on a flight to Rwanda.
Labour said the Tory resignations show that even senior members of the party believe “the Conservatives have failed” and accused Rishi Sunak of weakness.
Key PointsLabour MP mocks Nadine Dorries’ Cameron claim
04:30 , Barney Davis
Labour MP Chris Bryant is sceptical of Nadine Dorries’ theory that the Tories plan to replace Rishi Sunak with Lord Cameron after the Rwanda rebellion.
She had told Talk TV: “It’s no coincidence that David Cameron has suddenly been popped into the Lords.”
Rebels believe Sunak will win crunch vote- Sky source claims
03:31 , Barney Davis
A senior rebel told Sky News Beth Rigby that they still believed Rishi Sunak would win the crunch Rwanda vote later today despite their uprising.They told her: “The question is what does it profit a Prime Minister to gain a Bill but, once and for all, lose the public’s trust on the boats and migration?”
Former prime minister Liz Truss, former ministers Suella Braverman and Sir Simon Clarke and former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith were also among those to back the amendments.
Lee Anderson ‘didn’t believe in Rwanda bill’
02:28 , Barney Davis
Speaking after his resignation as Tory deputy chair, Lee Anderson told GB News: “I don’t think I could carry on in my role when I fundamentally disagree with the Bill. I can’t be in a position to vote for something I don’t believe in.”
He said he believed the Bill “could work” and insisted the Prime Minister still had “100%” of his support.
Some 68 MPs, including 60 Tories, voted in favour of changes to the Safety of Rwanda Bill put forward by Conservative backbencher Sir Bill, which seek to ensure UK and international law cannot be used to block a person being removed to Rwanda.
(PA)
Who are the ‘five families’ of the Tory party in Westminster?
00:31 , Barney Davis
Squabbling over the Rwanda bill has once again highlighted the remarkable number of factions within the parliamentary Conservative Party. Some in Westminster refer to the major groups as the “five families” of the party, though the number of sub-groups has mushroomed, particularly on the hard right. The most high profile in recent years has been the European Research Group, chaired by Mark Francois, which made menacing demands of Rishi Sunak about his proposed legislation, albeit they were pretty much ignored. All have one thing in common: a taste for plotting and intrigue amounting to addiction.
If the Conservatives go into opposition, these disputatious parties-within-a-party will become even more fractious; they are both symptom and cause of the splits that have so disfigured the Conservatives. Tory groups used to be dining clubs of like-minded chums (such as the “Blue Chips” in the 1980s – John Major and Chris Patten) or earnest researchers, such as the Bow Group or the Centre for Policy Studies. Nowadays, the politics are much more raw.
Here is a partial field guide to the different species of Tory MP…
What are the so-called ‘five families’ of the Tory party in Westminster?
Priti Patel backs Rwanda scheme in editorial
Tuesday 16 January 2024 23:51 , Barney Davis
Priti Patel has issued a plea for Conservatives to stick together ahead of a crunch vote on Rwanda policy.
The former home secretary bemoaned the fact the European Court of Human Rights could issue a last-ditch Rule 39 injunction blocking a plane to Rwanda from taking off on 14 June 2022.
She wrote: “Eighteen months since we were forced to leave the plane on the runway, we must now come together as a party to pass this Bill. But we must have the reassurance that all potential roadblocks are removed, including the civil service blob.
“Our partnership with Rwanda may be a tough and innovative approach, but it will work. As a former Home Secretary, I am convinced that it is the only way to ensure that people know that if they come here illegally, they will not be able to stay.”
(Getty Images)
Tory rebel ‘impressed with number’ voting against
Tuesday 16 January 2024 22:30 , Barney Davis
Tory rebel Sir John Hayes said about the rebellion: “The numbers speak for themselves. It was a really impressive number.”
He added: “I think we got a very significant proportion of the backbenchers.”
Asked if he would vote against the Government, he said: “We’ve got another day’s debate tomorrow, haven’t we – so let’s listen to that debate and deal with things as they occur rather than before they occur.”
Some 68 MPs, including 60 Tories, voted in favour of changes to the Safety of Rwanda Bill put forward by Conservative backbencher Sir Bill, which seek to ensure UK and international law cannot be used to block a person being removed to Rwanda.
Shadow home secretary called the night’s events ‘total Tory chaos’
Tuesday 16 January 2024 22:17 , Barney Davis
Yvette Cooper called the rebellion over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill which saw three resignations and 60 vote against the Government “total Tory chaos”.
She said it showed how the prime minister is “so weak he’s lost control of [the] asylum system, border security and the whole Tory party.”
Miriam Cates announced intention to vote against Rwanda bill ‘if not toughened up’
Tuesday 16 January 2024 21:12 , Barney Davis
Miriam Cates, co-chair of the New Conservatives, told Sky News that the Rwanda bill has too many loopholes.
She said: “There’s clearly strong feeling among a number of people in this party who want the bill toughened up.
“Let’s remember why we want this toughened up – it’s just because we want it to work.
“The prime minister has said that he will stop the boats, that he will do whatever it takes.
“We very much hope that the prime minister will see the strength of feeling and accept our amendments, or put forward his own equivalent ones.”
Asked if she will vote against the bill if it is not toughened up, Ms Cates says: “I’m prepared to, but I can only speak for myself.”
Miriam Cates (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Archive)
Big name Tories join 60-strong rebellion
Tuesday 16 January 2024 20:00 , Barney Davis
Senior Tory MPs were among 60 to rebel against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan, backing amendments that sought to toughen up the bill.
These include former prime minister Liz Truss, sacked home secretary Suella Braverman, Jacob Rees-Mog, former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Robert Jenrick.
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said the rebellion has not damaged Rishi Sunak’s position as leader
Tuesday 16 January 2024 19:57 , Barney Davis
Asked what the size of the rebellion says about Rishi Sunak’s leadership, Sir Jacob said the party is a “democracy” and “coalition of views”, adding: “All party leaders have to deal with that in their own way and Rishi Sunak does that in a courteous and intelligent way.”
Asked if the rebellion has damaged the Prime Minister’s position as leader, Sir Jacob said: “Not this particular discussion, no.”
The Conservative former cabinet minister said he has not yet made up his mind on how he would vote on the Bill’s third reading, saying: “I think amendments and the Bill itself are different questions because there are good bits of the Bill and it’s a Bill that could be improved with amendments.
“That doesn’t mean that the rest of the Bill is fundamentally bad.”
Another Tory rebel comes out of woodwork ahead of crunch Rwanda vote tomorrow
Tuesday 16 January 2024 19:42 , Barney Davis
Tory rebel Danny Kruger said he was “prepared” to vote against the Rwanda Bill but said he hopes the Government will continue with “constructive conversations”.
The New Conservatives co-chairman told the PA news agency: “I think the size of the rebellion shows that a significant number of Conservative colleagues are serious about amending this Bill.”
He conceded it was “painful to break the whip”, but said: “I hope the Government will continue the constructive conversations we’ve had and we will get into a better place tomorrow.”
Asked if he could see himself voting against the Bill at third reading, he said: “I am prepared to.”
Resignations show how weak Rishi Sunak is – Labour
Tuesday 16 January 2024 19:26 , Barney Davis
Pat McFadden MP, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, said: “Rishi Sunak is too weak to lead his party and too weak to lead the country.
“These resignations show that even senior Tories think that the Conservatives have failed and is yet more evidence of the total Tory chaos over their failing Rwanda gimmick – yet they are still making the taxpayer pay the extortionate price.
“After 14 years of Tory failure it is time for a change and the general election can’t come soon enough. Labour would crack down on the criminal smuggling gangs, reverse the collapse in returns with a new Returns Unit, and end hotel use which is costing the taxpayer billions.”
Third Tory resigns as PPS to Kemi Badenoch after Rwanda vote
Tuesday 16 January 2024 19:20 , Barney Davis
Jane Stevenson, Kemi Badenoch’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, also voted against the party whip and resigned promptly after.
Earlier the MP for Wolverhampton North East told the Commons: “I want to thank all colleagues who are trying to strengthen this Bill.
“I want it to be as robust as it possibly can be because we need it to be fit for the crisis that we face.
“It is a crisis and my constituents certainly want to see results on that crisis, so I will support these amendments.
“And I also want to put on record my wholehearted thanks to the Prime Minister for his determination to sort this out.”
Labour’s clause 6 voted down in the Commons in final vote
Tuesday 16 January 2024 19:09 , Barney Davis
The Commons rejected a Labour frontbench amendment to the Bill 336 to 262, majority 74, which would have added to the Bill the ability to suspend Rwanda’s safe status if it failed to live up to obligations in its treaty with the UK.
Tory rebel Mark Francois said ‘numbers speak for themselves’
Tuesday 16 January 2024 19:06 , Barney Davis
Mark Francois said he hopes the Government will listen to rebellion when asked if he would vote against the Rwanda Bill on Wednesday.
“I hope very much that the Government will listen and as a result of this… that the Government will listen and take stock and that perhaps there will be some possibility of tightening the Bill… tomorrow,” he told Sky News.
“The numbers speak for themselves.”
Asked if he would support the Government at third reading he said: “Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
Asked if the rebels have the numbers to defeat the Government, he said: “All I will say at this stage is I think the numbers tonight speak for themselves.”
Clause 4 voted through Commons by 275 majority
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:55 , Barney Davis
MPs voted 330 to 55, majority 275, in favour of Clause 4 of the Bill, which deals with decisions about individual asylum seekers’ circumstances.
PM accepts resignations of Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:50 , Barney Davis
Rishi Sunak has accepted the resignations of Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith after the deputy chairmen stepped down to back amendments to his flaship Rwanda Bill.
A Downing Street source said: “The PM accepts their resignation and thanks both Lee and Brendan for their dedication and hard work for the Conservative Party.
“This is the toughest legislation ever brought before Parliament to tackle illegal migration.
“This Bill will make it clear that if you come here illegally you will not be able to stay. We must pass this Bill to deliver what all Conservatives want – a credible plan to stop the boats.”
Robert Jenrick’s amendment voted down by Commons
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:42 , Barney Davis
MPs voted 525 to 58, majority 467 against Conservative former minister Robert Jenrick’s amendment, which was aimed at severely limiting individual asylum seekers’ ability to appeal against being put on a flight to Rwanda.
Reform party extends invite to Brendan Clarke-Smith and Lee Anderson after they quit
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:39 , Barney Davis
Richard Tice, the leader of the Reform party, has issued an invitation to Brendan Clarke-Smith and Lee Anderson to join his party.
He told GB News: “I can confirm that Lee and Brendan would both pass our strict vetting process.”
It came after they told Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that their deputy chairmen roles meant there was an issue of being bound by collective responsibility.
“It is with this in mind that we fully appreciate that whilst our main wish is to strengthen the legislation, this means that in order to vote for amendments we will therefore need to offer you our resignations from our roles.”
The MPs said they did not want to distract the Prime Minister from his “work on illegal migration”.
Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith’s joint resignation letter in full
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:35 , Barney Davis
Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith said that “whilst our main wish is to strengthen the legislation, this means that in order to vote for amendments we will therefore need to offer you our resignations from our rules”.
In a joint letter, they said it was “important in terms of credibility that we are consistent” on arguing that safeguards must be put in place to ensure the government’s flagship asylum policy is legally watertight.
Maira Butt reports:
Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith’s resignation letter in full
Rwanda amendment vote live on YouTube
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:32 , Barney Davis
PM again embarrassed by resigning MPs – Lib Dems
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:31 , Barney Davis
The Prime Minister has “again been embarrassed by his own MPs” after Tory deputy chairmen Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith resigned in order to vote for amendments to the Government’s Rwanda Bill, the Liberal Democrats said.
Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “Sunak’s Rwanda scheme just won’t work – and even the deputy chairmen of his own party know it.
“Rishi Sunak has yet again been embarrassed by his own MPs.
“If the Prime Minister can’t even settle squabbles in his own party, how can he be expected to run the country?”
Meanwhile back in the Commons MPs voted on Clause 2
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:28 , Barney Davis
The House voted 331 to 262 , majority 69, in favour of clause two of the Bill, which states that Rwanda is treated as a safe country.
It came as MPs voted 529 to 68, majority 461, to reject Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash’s amendment, which aimed to ensure UK and international law cannot be used to prevent or delay a person being removed to Rwanda.
Lee Anderson forced out as deputy Tory chairman over Rwanda rebellion
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:09 , Adam Forrest
Rishi Sunak has forced out Lee Anderson and other senior Tories from top jobs after they defied his authority and sided with rebel MPs on the Rwanda bill.
Mr Anderson – the controversial right-wing deputy chair of the Conservatives – voted alongside hardliners trying to force the PM to toughen up his flagship deportation legislation.
Amid fresh Tory infighting, fellow deputy chair Brendan Clarke-Smith also joined the Rwanda revolt on Tuesday night – arguing he wanted the bill “to be as strong as possible”.
Adam Forrest reports:
Lee Anderson forced out as deputy Tory chairman over Rwanda rebellion
Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith have both resigned as Tory Deputy Chairmen
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:04 , Barney Davis
Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith have issued a joint resignation letter outlining their reasons for quitting as deputy chairmen of the Conservative Party..
Their joint resignation letter in full:
SNP amendment rejected by MPs
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:00 , Barney Davis
An SNP amendment seeking to state that Rwanda must be regarded as “unsafe” was rejected by MPs by 337 votes to 66, majority 271.
Top MEP warns Rwanda plan could put Brexit trade deal at risk
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:00 , Barney Davis
Any attempt to hinder the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) with the Rwanda plan could put the Brexit deal at risk, a leading MEP has warned.
French politician Nathalie Loiseau, the European parliament’s chair of a joint EU-UK forum, warned of “dramatic consequences” as she insisted that abiding by the convention was part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
“Such action would cast a shadow on the UK’s trustworthiness and ability to abide by international treaties and conventions it has ratified,” she said in her letter to senior Labour MP Stella Creasy.
Tory rebels ‘sad’ if Lee Anderson sacked as deputy chairman of the party over Rwanda vote
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:48 , Barney Davis
A Tory rebel source said it would be “deeply unfortunate, sad and politically damaging” for Lee Anderson to be sacked as party deputy chairman as “one of its most prominent and visible representatives of the red wall”.
“Especially over an issue as important as migration, and especially in the aftermath of the Telegraph poll,” they said.
Lee Anderson facing the sack by Rishi Sunak
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:46 , Adam Forrest
It appears Rishi Sunak is posed to sack both Lee Anderson and Brendan Clark-Smith as deputy Tory chairs if they vote, as expected, for the rebel amendments this evening.
The political editor of The Times said the chief whip has “made clear” that any member of government payroll who defies Sunak this evening “will have made their position untenable”.
No 10 suggested earlier that they may not need to be sacked.
“They’re not part of the government, they’re part of the Conservative Party, so it wouldn’t apply to them,” the PM’s spokesperson said this afternoon
Commons have divided to vote on amendment 45
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:44 , Barney Davis
Amendment 45 of the Rwanda bill requires the British government to monitor whether the African country remains a safe country.
A result is expected at 5.55pm.
Immigration minister assured MPs that Rwanda was now a safe country.
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:42 , Barney Davis
Michael Tomlinson said the UK’s new legally binding treaty with the Government of Rwanda “does in fact respond to the concerns set out by the Supreme Court” in their judgment from last year.
He added: “The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Rwanda policy recognised that changes could be delivered in the future which could address the conclusions they came to, and we have been working closely with Rwanda to address those issues and when considered together the treaty… alongside that evidence of changes in Rwanda since the summer of 2022, it means that we can confidently conclude that Rwanda is a safe country.”
Intervening, SNP MP Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) asked: “If then Rwanda is a safe and secure place in which asylum seekers can live comfortable and productive lives, why should the prospect of being sent there be a deterrent?”
Mr Tomlinson replied: “The deterrent is because those are seeking to come to this country and not to the country of Rwanda.”
Another Conservative MP supports rebel amendments to the Rwanda Bill
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:41 , Barney Davis
Conservative MP Miriam Cates (Penistone and Stocksbridge) told the Commons she would support rebel amendments to the Rwanda Bill.
She said: “I do support these amendments, I will be voting for them tonight because the Bill must work, it must work to provide an effective deterrent.
“It must work to secure our borders, it must work to prevent people smuggling, and it must work to show the British people that their elected representatives really do take their concerns seriously.”
She referenced the Government’s plan to draft in around 150 judges and free up courtrooms in order to deal with migrant appeals, but said: “All that shows is that the Government is expecting a large number of individual claims.
“So if this Bill as drafted blocks off those individual claims as the Government suggests then why would we need those additional judges to move through the courts?”
She said the British asylum system is being “abused” and said: “It will continue to be abused unless this Bill is strengthened.”
Sunak could face no-confidence vote if defeated on Rwanda bill, rebels warn
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:30 , Adam Forrest
Tory rebels told The Independent that there could be more than 30 MPs willing to defy Mr Sunak and hand him a humiliating and damaging defeat if he does not back down.
John Hayes MP, the Common Sense Group leader, said: “It is difficult to vote for it unamended. It’s very hard to vote for something you don’t think is going to work.”
Over 65 right-wingers backed the amendments tabled by Mr Jenrick. It would take just 29 Tory MPs to overturn Mr Sunak’s 56-seat majority and defeat the government at the final Commons vote on Wednesday.
One senior Tory rebel said: “Even if half of the 65 signatories voted against the bill it would be enough to defeat the government – the government should be aware it’s possible if they don’t accept amendments.”
They added: “A defeat would be very serious for the prime minister. It would probably mean Labour putting forward a no-confidence vote in the Commons. Nobody in the party wants that.”
Sir Simon Clarke will vote against Bill if amendments not made
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:30 , Barney Davis
The Tory former cabinet minister said: “The Prime Minister has said he will do whatever it takes. Unfortunately, I do not believe that as of this moment we are set to do whatever it takes to stop this problem.
“And I can only vote for this legislation if I believe genuinely and sincerely that it will resolve the problem.”Speaking about the Bill meeting the “reality of our courts system”, he said “I don’t think the outcome will be a pretty one”, adding that “at best” there are “likely to be a few token flights”.
“In the absence of amendments being brought forward and supported by the Government I will not be able to support this Bill, more than that, I will vote against it at third reading.”
Top Tory rebels gather to discuss how to vote
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:22 , Adam Forrest
Dozens of senior Tory MPs on the right – including former PM Liz Truss, ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, former leader Iain Duncan Smith and ex-cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg – have gathered for a meeting in parliament to discuss how to vote.
New Conservatives co-chairman Danny Kruger and Simon Clarke were also among those present. There was a flurry of such meetings of the “five families” of the Tory right before the bill passed its first reading before Christmas.
Senior figures in the European Research Group, New Conservatives, the Commons Sense Group, the Northern Research Group and No Turning Back got together to discuss the latest thinking.
But in the end, Tory MPs tend to do their own thing. So it is not clear whether 29 of them are really prepared to vote against the government at the crucial third reading and hand Rishi Sunak a damaging defeat.
‘Close the loopholes’ Simon Clarke backs Rwanda amendments
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:14 , Barney Davis
Tory former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke earlier said the test facing MPs is whether the Rwanda legislation will work, telling the Commons: “There is a crisis of faith in our politics and that really boils down to – as it has done for a number of years, spanning the Brexit debate and indeed the causes of it – do we as Members of Parliament mean what we say?
“Is our word worth anything? Are we capable as a country of asserting our national sovereignty? Are we as a country capable of policing our borders?
Sir Simon said there is a need to “close the loopholes” in the Bill as he backed the amendments from Sir Bill Cash and Robert Jenrick.
On Government plans to draft in around 150 judges and free up courtrooms in order to deal with migrant appeals, Sir Simon said: “Apart from being one of the most effective devices that I can see to worsen our existing court backlog, this is simply confirmation of the scale of problems that the Government itself anticipates as a result of what will happen under the current legislation.”
Sir Simon added it is “not a tenable strategy”.
Law Society says government plans to draft in more judges to deal with Rwanda appeals are ‘incoherent’
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:08 , Holly Bancroft
“These proposed measures once again illustrate the apparent incoherence at the heart of the UK government’s immigration policy,” said Law Society of England and Wales president Nick Emmerson.
“They do not overcome the fundamental flaws of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. Instead, they attempt to deal with some legal challenges more quickly with more judges at a time when the entire justice system is suffering from a lack of judicial capacity.
“This difficult and seemingly ill-conceived bill aims to set a dangerous legal and constitutional precedent by legislating to overturn an evidence-based finding of fact by UK courts. It fundamentally bars access to justice and is unworkable.”
Right-wing Tory rebels threaten to bring Sunak’s Rwanda bill down
Tuesday 16 January 2024 17:01 , Adam Forrest
Boris Johnson launched an attempt to sabotage Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill by throwing his support behind right-wing Conservative MPs trying to force the PM into last-minute changes.
A growing number of Tory hardliners have threatened to vote against the government and send Mr Sunak’s premiership into crisis if Mr Sunak refuses to toughen up the legislation.
Adam Forrest reports:
Right-wing Tory rebels threaten to bring Sunak’s Rwanda bill down
Lord Cameron defends ‘out of the box thinking’ of Rwanda bill in House of Lords
Tuesday 16 January 2024 16:55 , Barney Davis
The Foreign Secretary has said that the UN Refugee Convention was “written for another age” as he defended the Rwanda Bill in the House of Lords.
Lord Cameron told peers: “We do not believe the Rwanda scheme is contrary to international law.
“How I would characterise it is to say that, look, things like the Refugee Convention was written for another age, written for an age when there wasn’t mass international travel, when there wasn’t the ubiquity of mobile phones.
“And what we are saying is, yes this is out of the box thinking, yes it’s quite unorthodox, but you’ve got a choice, frankly, when you’ve got people arriving from a perfectly safe country to another safe country, you have to deal with that trade – and that requires some fresh thinking.
“Now, it’s not possible to put people straight back on a boat and take them back to France so that is why the Rwanda scheme is being introduced.
“It is within the law, it is novel, but I believe it can work.”
(Parliament TV)
PM again embarrassed by resigning MPs – Lib Dems
Tuesday 16 January 2024 18:29 , Barney Davis
The Prime Minister has “again been embarrassed by his own MPs” after Tory deputy chairmen Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith resigned in order to vote for amendments to the Government’s Rwanda Bill, the Liberal Democrats said.
Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “Sunak’s Rwanda scheme just won’t work – and even the deputy chairmen of his own party know it.
“Rishi Sunak has yet again been embarrassed by his own MPs.
“If the Prime Minister can’t even settle squabbles in his own party, how can he be expected to run the country?”
‘Rwanda being accelerated to boost Rishi Sunak’s election chances’ – Labour MP
Tuesday 16 January 2024 16:28 , Barney Davis
Michael Shanks, Labour MP for Hamilton West, told the Commons the Rwanda policy is all about the General Election and an attempt to get flights off the ground before then after Rishi Sunak’s promises.
He said: “It has the dubious distinction of being both an utterly immoral and completely ineffective policy at the same time as being an extraordinarily expensive policy all the while seemingly not being supported by the prime minister.”
He adds it should be voted down at stage three but tries to include safeguards that the deal can be suspended by UK courts if abuse of migrants is revealed.
Rishi Sunak still aims to have flights running to Rwanda by the spring
Tuesday 16 January 2024 16:24 , Barney Davis
Downing Street said Rwanda plan will go ahead in Spring despite plans to draft in more judges to speed up migrant appeals not set to be completed until summer.
Asked whether it was still the plan to revive the stalled scheme by spring, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It is.”
Number 10 reiterated that it will “listen if people want to put forward a legal position as relates to their amendments” but that it was working within “specific parameters and one of those is not collapsing the Bill”.
Labour MP says smuggling gangs being let off by Tories as convictions drop 36% since 2010
Tuesday 16 January 2024 16:13 , Barney Davis
Ruth Jones Labour MP for Newport opens by paying tribute to those who perished on the “perilous boat crossings” earlier this week.
She said Tories are in total chaos over the £400m plan with more promised despite not one asylum seeker being sent to Rwanda. She jokes more home secretaries have been to Rwanda.
She says it will cover less than 1% of people arriving in this country. She told the Commons that Labour’s plan will stop the boats safely and clear the backlog that is costing taxpayers £2bn.
In three years 100,000 have crossed on boats with £3bn a year being spent on asylum hotels.
“This whole situation is a mess for our borders and our international leadership.”
(Parliament TV)
‘We must be mugs frankly’ Sir Edward Leigh blasts migrants coming to UK
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:56 , Barney Davis
Sir Edward Leigh MP, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough, told The Commons: “Such as the crisis in our hotels that the government is now spending tens of millions trying to convert former military bases such as RAF Scampton in my constituency.
“We have been arguing about RAF Scampton for 9 months now but not a single migrant has arrived there.
“Put yourself in the place of the migrant. The draw factor to this country is extraordinarily high. Firstly we speak English, secondly unlike France or Germany, we will put you in a comfortable hotel. Thirdly we will give you benefits and fourthly you have a 95 per cent chance of being offered asylum.
“If you are coming from a hellhole like Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan why would you not want to take that risk?
“We must be mugs frankly and the rest of Europe is laughing at us.”
An opposition MP interrupts him to ask why would Rwanda be a deterrent to these migrants.
(ParliamentTV)
Ask John Rentoul anything as dire poll results spark general election woes for Sunak
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:37 , Tara Cobham
Rishi Sunak is having a tough week – as a fresh split over the controversial Rwanda bill follows crushing polls and surveys highlighting the prime minister’s popularity, or lack thereof.
Focus group research carried out by JL Partners found that members of the public now regard Mr Sunak with barely concealed contempt.
According to the top pollster, the Tory party leader is seen as “spineless and false” and makes people “cringe”.
Submit your questions here:
Ask John Rentoul anything as dire poll results spark Tory crisis
Veteran Tory suggests Government brings forward own amendments
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:35 , Tara Cobham
Veteran Tory Sir Bill Cash suggested the Government brings forward its own amendments to the Rwanda Bill.
The MP for Stone told the Commons: “In our unique unwritten constitution, our sovereignty patently prevails over international law.”
He added: “There is no reason whatever why this Bill should not expressly and clearly exclude international law for and within the reasons I have given. It is an affront to Parliament and to the courts to suggest otherwise.”
He said: “I strongly urge the Government to note the sheer anger and frustration demonstrated in opinion polls and public concern that we get this Bill right and make it work.
“If not, this anger will continue up to and including the general election.
“Would it not be wise for the Government to reflect on the position, and that it would be better and wiser to come forward with their own amendments and use our majority, in line with our manifesto, granted to us by the general election in 2019, and in the national interest, and for the sake of all Conservative Members of Parliament whose seats will be so at risk if we do not do so?”
Allocation of judges is ‘exclusive matter for judiciary’, Lady Chief Justice tells MPs
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:20 , Holly Bancroft, Social Affairs Correspondent
Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, has told MPs that allocation of judges is “exclusively a matter for the judiciary” following reports in The Times that ministers could draft 150 judges to fast-track migrant appeals, reports social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft.
Referring to the report, the head of the judiciary said: “I’m afraid that this headline draws matters of judicial responsibility into the political arena. Parliament has legislated, we the judiciary have acted in preparation for that legislation, but to be absolutely clear matters of deployment of judges, the allocation of work for judges, and the use of courtrooms is exclusively a matter for the judiciary and more specifically a matter for myself and the senior president of the tribunals. And it’s really important Chair that people understand that clear division.”
Shadow Home Office minister tells Commons Labour will vote against amendments
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:17 , Tara Cobham
For Labour, shadow Home Office minister Stephen Kinnock told the Commons: “We on these benches will be proudly voting against the amendments that are being promoted by the benches opposite because the Government’s Rwanda policy is unaffordable, unworkable and unlawful, because this Bill is an affront to the values that we hold dear and because we will always stand up for the separation of powers, for the rule of law and for ensuring we can stand tall in the world.”
Challenged by Tory former immigration minister Robert Jenrick on whether Labour believes Rwanda is a safe country, Mr Kinnock replied: “When the Supreme Court of our land rules that it is not safe to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, we on these benches agree absolutely with that position.”
He added: “The legislation before us is a sham, but in the interests of damage limitation I urge members to get behind Labour’s amendments today.”
Labour’s amendments include ensuring that decision-makers can still consider the risk of refoulement, where asylum seekers are removed and returned to a country where they face persecution.
Mr Jenrick earlier also challenged Mr Kinnock about Labour’s position on the use of offshore processing, adding: “Why would they want to do something which is known to be more expensive and less effective because you have to bring everyone back to the United Kingdom one way or another, and so you create no deterrent whatsoever, but one wouldn’t want to move forward with a scheme like Rwanda?”
Mr Kinnock pointed to the Ukraine and Hong Kong schemes as examples where applications were processed offshore, adding: “There are plenty of ways of doing upstream processing, offshore processing and, to coin a phrase, what matters is what works.”
Shadow Home Office minister Stephen Kinnock told the Commons Labour will be voting against the amendments (PA)
Tory MPs criticise Sunak’s plan to draft in 150 judges to deal with migrant appeals
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:16 , Tara Cobham
Tory MPs have criticised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to draft in around 150 judges and free up courtrooms in order to deal with migrant appeals.
Former minister Sir John Redwood, intervening on Tory colleague Sir Bill Cash, told the Commons: “Did (Sir Bill) see the recent briefings that seemed to come from the Government that they’re expecting a lot of cases under their law and they’re going to provide a lot more judges to do it?
“Aren’t they telling us that it isn’t going to work?”
Sir Bill (Stone) replied: “I’m afraid to say that does appear to be the inevitable inference to be drawn from the statements that are being made.
“And the worry is that unless the law is completely clear and unambiguous there’s going to be more trouble, and if this Bill was to be passed with clear and unambiguous words they wouldn’t be needing the judges that they seem to be wanting to employ – nor for that matter all the fees the lawyers accumulate as a result of taking part in some very spurious cases.”
Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash intends to push his amendment to a vote
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:14 , Tara Cobham
Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash said he intends to push his amendment to a vote, telling the Commons: “We want the Bill to succeed, we want it to work and we want to do what our voters want, but at present it does not.
“Clause two as it stands does not work and that is why I shall put my amendment 10 to a vote, supported as it is by well over 60 Members of Parliament.
“Clause two of the Bill needs to be amended with clear and unambiguous words and with a full notwithstanding formula, not the one that is currently on offer.
“This formula has been used throughout our legislative history for hundreds of years – but most recently it has been enacted in our most important domestic and constitutional legislation without opposition, namely section 38 of the Withdrawal Agreement 2020. The sovereignty of the Crown in Parliament is democracy.”
Sir Bill’s amendment is part of efforts by Tory MPs to disapply international law from the Bill and severely limit individual asylum seekers’ ability to appeal against being put on a flight to Rwanda.
Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash said he intends to push his amendment to a vote (PA)
‘The law is our servant, not our master,’ argues Jenrick
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:14 , Tara Cobham
The “law is our servant, not our master” Robert Jenrick said, as he urged MPs to back his amendments to the Rwanda Bill.
Speaking in the Commons, former immigration minister Mr Jenrick (Newark) said: “How much are we actually willing to do to stop the boats? How (much) are we willing to take on the vested interests, balance the trade-offs, take the robust steps that will actually work?
“The only countries in the world that have fixed this problem, latterly Australia and Greece, have been willing to take the most robust action, are we? Well, I am.
“I want to stop the boats and secure our borders. This is a difficult issue, but we’re not a parish council, struggling with some kind of intractable legal issue, we’re a sovereign Parliament, the power is in our hands, we have agency.
“The law is our servant, not our master. I would urge all right honourable and honourable members to support the amendments in my name and those of my honourable friend the member for Stone (Sir William Cash) and create a scheme that actually works.
“That’s what our constituents expect of us, that is the promise that the Prime Minister has made to them and the whole country.”
People need to be deported ‘within days’, urges Jenrick
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:13 , Tara Cobham
The plan behind the Bill would see people deported in months when they need to be deported “within days”, Conservative former minister Robert Jenrick said.
He told the Commons: “We only have 2,000 detained spaces in our immigration removal centres in this country.
“On a single day in August, 1,200 people arrived illegally on our shores. So in a weekend all the detained capacity in the whole United Kingdom would be consumed.”
He added: “We have to get people out of the country within days, not months.
“And the operational plan behind this Bill foresees that people will take months to be removed from the country.
“So what will happen is that our detained capacity will be filled, people will then be bailed to hotels, they will then abscond and never be seen again. And within a single week in August this scheme will have failed.”
The plan behind the Bill would see people deported in months when they need to be deported ‘within days’, Conservative former minister Robert Jenrick said (PA Wire)
Jenrick sees ‘no reason’ Sunak cannot accept amendments
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:11 , Tara Cobham
Unless the goal posts have been shifted by the Government, Robert Jenrick said he sees “no reason” why the Prime Minister couldn’t accept his amendments.
Speaking in the Commons, former immigration minister Mr Jenrick said his amendments pass Rishi Sunak’s “test”.
The MP for Newark said: “The Prime Minister set a test to me, and to anyone who shares my determination to tackle this issue, and that was as follows – that he would accept any amendment whether it strengthened this Bill, if there were respectable legal arguments in international law in their favour.
“Now we can argue about whether that test is the right one, personally I feel very strongly that there are times when contested notions of international law should not surpass either parliamentary sovereignty or above all the interest of our constituents, and border security and national security are the prime responsibilities of any government.
“But that was the test, we have met the test. We instructed a very eminent lawyer, John Larkin KC former attorney general of Northern Ireland, to provide us with an opinion. The opinion says that each and every one of the amendments in my name and that of the member for Stone (Sir William Cash), are compliant with international law.
“Unless the goal posts have been shifted by the Government, I see no reason why the Prime Minister and the minister couldn’t accept these amendments and enable us to strengthen this Bill once and for all.”
‘Preference of judiciary is to make scheme difficult to operationalise’, suggests Jenrick
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:10 , Tara Cobham
The “revealed preference” of the judiciary is to “make this scheme difficult to operationalise”, Conservative former minister Robert Jenrick told the Commons.
Speaking about the Illegal Migration Act, he said: “Even if you believe that the serious and irreversible harm test within it is a very strict one… that won’t apply to the flights that will go off in the months ahead, it may not apply to any flights that go off before the next general election.
“So if you want those flights to be full of illegal migrants and for there to be deterrent effect I think you need to support the amendments that I have set out which create that strict approach.”
He said for those individuals who are subject to the Illegal Migration Act: “The Government’s contention is that the serious and irreversible harm test is a very high one. I don’t think that’s right. I think the Supreme Court’s judgment lowers the bar.
“The revealed preference of the judiciary is to be generous towards illegal migrants, it is to make this scheme difficult to operationalise.
“And as this is the last… legislative opportunity to tackle this issue, I suggest we get it right, and we narrow the opportunities for the judiciary to intervene, or else we are going to find that these flights are symbolic flights with very few individuals on them at all.”
Sunak on ‘last chance’ to fix deportation plan, Jenrick warns
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:08 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Senior Tory rebel Robert Jenrick has said he could see “no reason” why Rishi Sunak could not accept his amendments to strengthen the Rwanda bill “once and for all”, reports political correspondent Adam Forrest.
The ex-immigration minister – who quit over the “weak” legislation said in the Commons migrant deportations should happen “within days, not months”.
“The operational plan behind this bill foresees that people will take months to be removed from the country.”
Mr Jenrick also told MPs that he does not accept the Sunak government’s claim that Rwanda would not accept a bill any tougher.
“We have to fix this problem,” he said, arguing that fixing the flaws in the bill “represent the last opportunity for us to get this policy right”.
Robert Jenrick (left) said he could see ‘no reason’ why Rishi Sunak could not accept his amendments to strengthen the Rwanda Bill ‘once and for all’ (PA Archive)
Jenrick tells MPs Bill left loopholes open allowing migrants to claim Rwanda unsafe
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:01 , Tara Cobham
Robert Jenrick told MPs the Bill still left loopholes open which would allow migrants to claim Rwanda was not safe for them as an individual.
The Tory former Home Office minister said: “All my experience at the Home Office teaches me that every single illegal migrant coming to this country will try every possible way to avoid being removed. We know that. That is what they do today. It is human nature that people would do this. You have to legislate for human nature, not against it.
“Every legal representative and leftie lawyer will try everything they can to support those claims. We see it every time. Experience teaches us this.”
While he acknowledged the Bill “does improve the situation”, Mr Jenrick said it did not do so in respect of an individual’s circumstances, adding: “As night follows day, every migrant will say Rwanda may be generally safe, and I believe it is, but it is not safe for me. That is one of the central intellectual incoherences, as the Government’s own lawyers have said, at the heart of this Bill.
“It envisages that Rwanda is generally safe, but for a range of unspecified reasons foresees that Rwanda will not be safe for others. Of course as we have seen in the past, one person will mount a successful challenge, that will create a precedent.”
He went on: “Time and again we will lose these cases in the courts. So the Bill in that respect is legally flawed.”
Amendments are ‘last opportunity for us to get policy right’, Jenrick tells Commons
Tuesday 16 January 2024 15:00 , Tara Cobham
Robert Jenrick said amendments from the Tory right to the Rwanda Bill “represent the last opportunity for us to get this policy right”.
The Conservative former minister told the Commons: “The amendments that have been brought forward in my name and that of the Member for Stone (Sir Bill Cash) in four groups, two of which will be heard and discussed today, two tomorrow, seek to address the evident flaws of the Bill.
“They represent the last opportunity for us to get this policy right.”
Watch live: MPs debate Rwanda asylum bill as Tory rebellion mounts
Tuesday 16 January 2024 14:57 , Tara Cobham
Rwanda plan key to tackling ‘scourge of mass migration’, Jenrick tells Commons
Tuesday 16 January 2024 14:56 , Tara Cobham
Creating a strong deterrent with the Rwanda plan is key to tackling the “scourge of mass migration”, Robert Jenrick has told the Commons.
The Conservative former Home Office minister spoke in favour of his amendments to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, telling MPs: “The current Bill doesn’t work and the test of whether it works is not can we get a few symbolic flights off in the months ahead, with a small number of illegal migrants on them.
“The test is can we create the kind of sustainable deterrent that we set out to achieve, the sustainable deterrent that the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) set out to achieve when she secured this ground-breaking deal with Rwanda.
“The kind of deterrent that protects not just this country for generations to come from the scourge of illegal migration, but the whole continent of Europe.”
Mr Jenrick told the Commons he had spoken with foreign ministers from across Europe and North Africa on the matter, adding: “They all ask: when are you getting this policy up and running? Will it work?
“They want it to work because they know if we can create a sustainable deterrent, we will stop people coming, we will secure Europe’s borders, we will save lives, and in an age of mass migration this is one of the most important challenges that we have to face.”
Tory rebel ‘not satisfied’ by Sunak’s pleas
Tuesday 16 January 2024 14:29 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Senior Tory MP Danny Kruger has said he is not satisfied by Rishi Sunak’s assurances that he is prepared to ignore European judges who try to block Rwanda deportations, reports political correspondent Adam Forrest.
On the move to speed up court hearings, the co-founder of the New Conservatives told GB News: “I’m concerned that that suggests there are going to be lots of claims, which indeed I think they would be under this law.”
Mr Kruger said: “I’m afraid I’m not yet satisfied by what we’ve heard from the PM.” He said: “We think the bill needs to go further, discussions are ongoing … We really hope that the government has listened to us and is prepared to concede and ideally adopt the amendments as its own.”
He added: “I met with the chief whip last night and might see him again today I expect, and other colleagues are talking to ministers.”
Eight DUP MPs to vote against Rwanda bill
Tuesday 16 January 2024 14:24 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Eight DUP MPs will vote against the Rwanda bill at third reading on Wednesday, the unionist MP Sammy Wilson has told GB News.
Watch: Tory rebel Robert Jenrick ‘prepared’ to vote against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill
Tuesday 16 January 2024 14:23 , Tara Cobham
Sunak warned by Tory rebel: I’m not f***ing around
Tuesday 16 January 2024 14:20 , Kate Devlin
A potential Tory rebel on Rwanda has warned Rishi Sunak he is not “f***ing around”, political editor Kate Devlin reports.
Former minister Simon Clarke said: “I will vote against if the legislation isn’t amended. Simple as that”.
He made the comment in response to claims by other Tories that the Rwanda rebels won’t vote down the Bill when it comes to a head on Wednesday.
Mr Clarke replied on X, formerly Twitter: “Well this particular MP isn’t “f***ing around””.
Asylum debates have entered ‘unchartered waters’, says law professor
Tuesday 16 January 2024 14:15 , Tara Cobham
A law professor has described the asylum debates as entering “unchartered waters”.
Dr Helen O’Nions, Associate Professor at Nottingham Law School said: “We are in unchartered waters whereby parliamentary sovereignty is being used as a justification to trump the rule of law and evidence-based reasoning.
“Yet it seems likely that the upper chamber, which has become the voice of reason in the recent asylum debates, will reject most of the proposals.
“All opposition MPs have already rejected them and many one-nation conservatives are profoundly uncomfortable with a policy which exports our refugee protection and human rights obligations.”
Watch: Fujitsu boss Paul Patterson ‘sorry’ for firm’s role in Post Office Horizon scandal
Tuesday 16 January 2024 14:00 , Tara Cobham
Post Office inquiry MP admits he’s not seen ITV drama
Tuesday 16 January 2024 13:45 , Tara Cobham
A Post Office inquiry MP admitted he has not watched the popular ITV drama that catapulted the Horizon scandal into the public domain.
Jonathan Gullis, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, revealed he had been made to watch Paw Patrol with his young children instead, much to the amusement of those at the official Post Office inquiry on Tuesday (16 January).
Mr Gullis said: “I might be one of the only people in the country who has yet to watch the ITV drama.
“With having two young children I am stuck between Paw Patrol and many other shows.”
Lucy Leeson reports:
Post Office MP admits he’s not seen ITV drama as he’s forced to watch Paw Patrol
‘Post Office gaslighted me and turned me into basket case for years’, says ex-subpostmaster
Tuesday 16 January 2024 13:30 , Tara Cobham
A former subpostmaster has accused the Post Office of “gaslighting” her and “turning her into a basket case”, an official inquiry heard.
Jo Hamilton, one of the many subpostmasters wrongly accused of theft, also criticised the red tape and bureaucracy involved in the Horizon scandal compensation schemes.
Giving evidence at the inquiry on Tuesday (16 January), she said: “After the court case I realised it wasn’t just me, it just makes you so angry. They gaslit me for about three years and pretty much turned me into a basket case.”
Lucy Leeson reports:
‘Post Office gaslighted me and turned me into a basket case for years’, says victim
Sunak must deliver on Rwanda if Tories have any hope, says Rees-Mogg
Tuesday 16 January 2024 13:16 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Jacob Rees-Mogg said the government must “urgently” deliver on its immigration pledges, political correspondent Adam Forrest reports.
The former cabinet minister told his own GB News show that people voted in favour of Brexit to “regain sovereignty of our migration policy”.
“This hasn’t happened. People are feeling dissatisfied. There’s a Rwanda bill before parliament at the moment.
“The Tories need to deliver on this and deliver on this urgently if they are to have any hope of re-establishing trust with British voters.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg said the government must ‘urgently’ deliver on its immigration pledges (PA Wire)
Co-founder of anti-torture network joins calls for MPs to stop ‘cruel’ bill
Tuesday 16 January 2024 13:15 , Tara Cobham
The co-founder of an anti-torture network has joined calls for MPs to put an end to the “cruel” Rwanda bill.
Kolbassia Haoussou, the Director of Survivor Leadership and Influencing at Freedom from Torture, said: “Just a few short months ago the Supreme Court ruled that Rwanda was unsafe for people like me. But today, the Government is ignoring all the important evidence, expertise, and testimonies that went into making this vital ruling.
“This Rwanda Bill is inhuman and puts the lives of the most vulnerable at serious risk. I’m calling on all MPs to stop this cruel scheme once and for all.”
Another Tory rebel threatens to vote against Rwanda bill
Tuesday 16 January 2024 13:07 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Senior Tory rebel Sir John Hayes has told Times Radio that he would find it difficult to vote for the Rwanda bill if it is unamended, political correspondent Adam Forrest reports.
The leader of the Common Sense Group – often described as Suella Braverman’s mentor – said: “If the bill is unamended and not fit for purpose…it would be very difficult to vote for that wouldn’t it? I can’t see how you could.”
“I can’t see how having supported the amendments … I don’t think having done all that, you can then say the bill, which we regard as imperfect, should be supported.”
It remains to be seen how many of the 70 or so MPs who have backed the amendments will feel the same way on Wednesday.
Watch: Fujitsu boss apologises for firm’s role in Post Office Horizon scandal
Tuesday 16 January 2024 13:06 , Tara Cobham
Fujitsu Europe director Paul Patterson has apologised to subpostmasters wrongly convicted during the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.
Appearing before the Business and Trade Committee on Tuesday (16 January), Mr Patterson said: “To the subpostmasters and their families, Fujitsu would like to apologise for our part in this appalling miscarriage of justice.
“We were involved from the very start. We did have bugs and errors in the system. And we did help the Post Office in their prosecutions of subpostmasters. For that we are truly sorry.”
Lucy Leeson reports:
Watch: Fujitsu boss issues apologises for firm’s role in Post Office Horizon scandal
Who are the ‘five families’ of the Tory party in Westminster?
Tuesday 16 January 2024 13:03 , Sean O’Grady
Squabbling over the Rwanda bill has once again highlighted the remarkable number of factions within the parliamentary Conservative Party. Some in Westminster refer to the major groups as the “five families” of the party, though the number of sub-groups has mushroomed, particularly on the hard right. The most high profile in recent years has been the European Research Group, chaired by Mark Francois, which made menacing demands of Rishi Sunak about his proposed legislation, albeit they were pretty much ignored. All have one thing in common: a taste for plotting and intrigue amounting to addiction.
If the Conservatives go into opposition, these disputatious parties-within-a-party will become even more fractious; they are both symptom and cause of the splits that have so disfigured the Conservatives. Tory groups used to be dining clubs of like-minded chums (such as the “Blue Chips” in the 1980s – John Major and Chris Patten) or earnest researchers, such as the Bow Group or the Centre for Policy Studies. Nowadays, the politics are much more raw.
Here is a partial field guide to the different species of Tory MP…
What are the so-called ‘five families’ of the Tory party in Westminster?
Minister announces move to speed up court hearings in bid to win over Tory MPs
Tuesday 16 January 2024 13:03 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Rishi Sunak’s justice secretary Alex Chalk said he has asked more judges to be appointed to the first-tier and upper tribunal to speed up courts dealing with migrant appeals, political correspondent Adam Forrest reports.
The cabinet minister told the Commons that recruitment would “conclude in the next few months and new judges will be appointed, trained and start sitting from this summer”.
The judiciary has identified judges which could provide 5,000 additional sitting days while extra space had been prepared, making a total of 25 courtrooms available for hearings.
In a written ministerial statement, Mr Chalk said: “We are confident that, with the additional courtroom and judicial capacity detailed above, in line with projected levels agreed with the Home Office, the vast majority of Illegal Migration Act appeal work will be dealt with by the courts in an expedited manner.”
But right-wing Tory rebels are unimpressed. Robert Jenrick has just told Sky News it “won’t wash”. Miriam Cates has told the BBC: “I’m afraid all that shows is that the government is expecting a large number of individual claims.” And Simon Clarke said: “This proves the extent of the problem the bill as drafted will create.”
Bates says ‘everyone will be surprised’ about how much Post Office and Government knew
Tuesday 16 January 2024 13:00 , Tara Cobham
The public will be “surprised about how much was known early on” by the Post Office and the Government about what was going wrong with the Horizon system, former subpostmaster Alan Bates has said.
Appearing before the Business and Trade Committee on Tuesday (January 16), the former subpostmaster who has led the campaign for justice said it is for the inquiry to establish the level of Fujitsu’s culpability.
“My gut feel on this, having looked at lots of paperwork over the years, is how much did the Post Office really know in the early days and how much did government really know in the early days about what was happening at Fujitsu?
“I think everyone’s going to be surprised about how much was known.”
Lucy Leeson reports:
Alan Bates says ‘surprising’ how much Post Office and Government knew about scandal
Robert Jenrick ‘prepared’ to vote against Rwanda bill
Tuesday 16 January 2024 12:56 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
The ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick – who quit over the “weak” Rwanda bill – has said he is prepared to vote against the government at Wednesday’s showdown vote.
The hardliner, who has led the rebel amendments, told Sky News: “I am prepared to vote against the bill… because this bill doesn’t work, and I do believe that a better bill is possible.
Mr Jenrick said: “So the government has a choice. It can either accept my amendments … or it can bring back a new and improved bill, and it could do that within a matter of days because we know the shape of that bill.”
He added: “The opportunity here is immense. Let’s not waste it by creating a scheme that is like a bucket riddled with holes.”
In a last-ditch attempt to calm hardliners’ concerns, the PM will draft in 150 judges and free up courtrooms in order to speed up migrant appeals
But Mr Jenrick said it would “not wash” with Tory rebels, calling it an “implausible suggestion from the government, which was raised at the 11th hour”.
Tory rebel MPs in the ‘five families’ set to meet again
Tuesday 16 January 2024 12:47 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Tory MPs in various right-wing groups – the so-called “five families” – are meeting at 5pm to discuss whether to vote for the Rwanda bill on Wednesday, reports GB News.
There was a flurry of such meetings before the bill passed its first reading before Christmas. Senior figures in the European Research Group, New Conservatives, the Commons Sense Group, the Northern Research Group and No Turning Back get together to discuss the latest thinking.
But in the end, Tory MPs tend to do their own thing. So it is not clear whether 29 of them are really prepared to vote against the government at the crucial third reading – a move so radical it could hasten the end of the Sunak government.
More judges is to speed up courts dealing with migrant appeals, says Justice Secretary
Tuesday 16 January 2024 12:45 , Tara Cobham
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said he has asked more judges to be appointed to the First-tier and Upper Tribunal to speed up courts dealing with migrant appeals.
He told the Commons that recruitment would “conclude in the next few months and new judges will be appointed, trained and start sitting from this summer”.
In the meantime, the judiciary had identified judges which could provide 5,000 additional sitting days while extra space had been prepared, making a total of 25 courtrooms available for hearings.
In a written ministerial statement to Parliament, he said: “We are confident that, with the additional courtroom and judicial capacity detailed above, in line with projected levels agreed with the Home Office, the vast majority of Illegal Migration Act appeal work will be dealt with by the courts in an expedited manner.”
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk arrives in Downing Street, London, for a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (PA)
Can Rishi Sunak cling to power? Join The Independent Debate
Tuesday 16 January 2024 12:45 , Tara Cobham
Can the Tories cling to power in 2024? Is Sir Keir Starmer the UK’s next Prime Minister? What will be the defining issues of the next election? And when will we actually take to the polls this year?
So many questions swirl around the upcoming 2024 general election – and we want to hear your predictions.
On Monday Rishi Sunak dismissed the significance of a damning opinion poll predicting the Tories are on track for a 1997-style wipeout.
Have your say here:
Join The Independent Debate and tell us your general election predictions
No 10 issues plea to rebel Tories: Bill is ‘missing piece’ to stop the boats
Tuesday 16 January 2024 12:40 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Downing Street has issued a plea to right-wing Tory rebels – arguing that the Rwanda bill is the “missing piece” to the stop the boats pledge.
Asked if No 10 had a message to right-wingers, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said: “We believe this bill is the fastest way to get flights off the ground, and will provide the missing piece to our raft of measures to stop the boats.”
He added: “No government has gone further in introducing such robust legislation. This approach has not been tried before, it is deliberately new and challenging. And we think it is the missing element to approach to stopping the boats.”
No 10 also said it disagreed with the UNHCR that the Rwanda bill would violate global refugee law. “We are acting in a way that we believe is both legal and responsible,” said the PM’s spokesman.
No 10 on decision to increase number of judges hearing immigration appeals
Tuesday 16 January 2024 12:39 , Tara Cobham
Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said the decision to increase the number of judges hearing immigration appeals showed the UK Government was “taking every conceivable step to ensure” Rwanda deportation flights could take off.
The No 10 official said that while the Rwanda Bill would ensure the bar for legal challenges is “set extremely high”, it is “also right to ensure that we have the resources to deal with the minority of claims should they arise”.
Put to him that some rebels argued the move was an acknowledgement that the Bill would not put a stop to legal challenges, the Prime Minister’s spokesman replied: “No, I think it demonstrates that we are taking every conceivable step to ensure that we can get flights off the ground as quickly as possible.
“The spurious challenges we have seen before will be blocked through the Bill, the systemic challenges will be blocked.
“We have heard from leading judges, leading lawyers, who say the Bill will do the job that it needs to do, whether that is blocking challenges on modern slavery, on asylum — those sorts of spurious challenges will not be allowed.
“But it is right, in the small minority of cases, that we have resources put in place if needed.”
Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said the decision to increase the number of judges hearing immigration appeals showed the UK Government was ‘taking every conceivable step to ensure’ Rwanda deportation flights could take off (PA Wire)
Downing Street rejects UNHCR assessment Rwanda Bill would still violate global refugee law
Tuesday 16 January 2024 12:34 , Tara Cobham
Downing Street said it disagreed with the assessment by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that the Rwanda Bill and the recently-signed treaty with Kigali would still violate global refugee law.
Asked whether the UK Government disagreed with the UNHCR’s assessment, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Yes.
“I haven’t seen specifically what they have said, but we have set out the summary of our legal advice and obviously we are legislating to enable us to do this.
“The UNHCR also have a partnership with Rwanda ensuring they can safely take in migrants, I think from Libya, including a number quite recently.”
The spokesman said he had not spoken to Rishi Sunak about the assessment before adding: “I think the Prime Minister will not be deterred from a course of action that is backed by the British public.
“It is important that we have control of our borders, it is right that the British people, not criminal gangs, decide who comes to this country. We are acting in a way that we believe is both legal and responsible.”
No 10 does not rule out changing Rwanda bill
Tuesday 16 January 2024 12:32 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Downing Street did not rule out the prospect of putting forward its own, government-backed amendments to appease rebels over the Rwanda bill – with discussions with MPs “still ongoing”.
Asked by reporters whether the government could rule out the possibility of agreeing to amendments, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said: “Discussions are still ongoing, so I’m not going to pre-empt that.”
The No 10 official added: “Clearly, as we have said before, we are working within specific parameters where we need to retain the strong deterrent effect, and equally we must do nothing that collapses the bill.”
He said the government was still “speaking and listening to parliamentarians”.
Post Office scandal: Only three subpostmasters ‘fully paid out’ in 20 years, inquiry hears
Tuesday 16 January 2024 12:15 , Tara Cobham
A solicitor has told MPs that only three of his former subpostmaster clients who have been criminally convicted have received compensation.
Speaking at the Post Office inquiry on Tuesday (16 January), Dr Neil Hudgell said: “Within the convicted cohort of clients that we have, of the 73, three have been fully paid out.”
He told the Business and Trade Committee: “It sounds perverse to say this, but I’m not sure that enough resources are thrown at it in terms of the right results into the right areas.
“For example, routinely with the overturned conviction cases it’s taking three to four months to get a response to routine correspondence.”
Lucy Leeson reports:
Post Office scandal: Only three subpostmasters ‘fully paid out’ in 20 years
Rwanda plan still violates international law, says UN agency
Tuesday 16 January 2024 11:58 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan is still in breach of international law, the UN’s refugee agency has warned.
In a blow to the PM, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the Rwanda bill and recently signed treaty with Kigali was “not compatible” with international refugee law.
In a new assessment of the revived plan, the body said it “does not meet the required standards relating to the legality and appropriateness of the transfer of asylum seekers and is not compatible with international refugee law”.
Shweta Sharma reports:
UNHCR says Sunak’s new Rwanda bill still violates international humanitarian law
House of Commons suspended – as no one can hear what MPs are saying
Tuesday 16 January 2024 11:56 , Kate Devlin, Politics and Whitehall Editor
The House of Commons has been suspended – because no one can hear what MPs are saying.
A technical fault means Parliament is currently unable to broadcast sound from the chamber.
The Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle has decided to suspend proceedings until the problem is resolved.
Watch: Jonathan Gullis admits he’s not seen ITV drama as he’s forced to watch Paw Patrol instead
Tuesday 16 January 2024 11:55 , Tara Cobham
Law professor says it is difficult to see how Bill could be toughened further
Tuesday 16 January 2024 11:45 , Tara Cobham
A law professor has said it is difficult to see how the Rwanda Bill could be toughened any further since it “already sails very close to the wind”.
Professor Tom Lewis from Nottingham Law School said: “It is difficult to see how the Bill could be toughened any further – within the parameters of the UK’s international legal obligations – so as to exclude ‘interference’ from international courts, considering the UK is a contracting party of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Bill as it stands already sails very close to the wind.
“The Bill excludes the jurisdiction of the UK courts to hear claims challenging removals to Rwanda and expressly disapplies the Human Rights Act 1998 in relation to relevant claims. This disapplication, whilst controversial, is constitutionally possible within the terms of the Human Rights Act itself, in which Parliament went to great lengths to explicitly preserve its own right to make law which goes against the European Convention, if it is determined to do so.
“However if, as a result of the Bill, an asylum seeker is denied a remedy within the UK then, under the terms of the European Convention itself, they must be able to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. And if that court finds there to be a violation of Convention rights then, because it is a signatory of the Convention, the UK will obliged to abide by that judgment.
“This is the point at which the UK government would be forced to ‘stick or twist’. It would either need to comply with the judgment, thus essentially rendering pointless the Bill’s provisions disapplying the Human Rights Act. Or it would, at this point have to consider the nuclear option of withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights – and thereby join Russia and Belarus as the only other European states not in the Convention system.”
Tory moderates tell Sunak to ignore right-wing rebels
Tuesday 16 January 2024 11:20 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland said Rishi Sunak “would be best advised not to accept any of the amendments from my colleagues on the right, because the Bill then will cause a problem for us here”.
The senior moderate – a leading figure in the One Nation group, which boats support of around 100 MPs – added: “So we’re hoping that common sense will prevail.”
One Nation chairman Damian Green said: “We’ve made our position clear that we, for all our reservations, we voted for the bill at second reading. And we want the government to carry it through unamended.”
Starmer needs even bigger swing than Blair to win Labour majority
Tuesday 16 January 2024 11:15 , Tara Cobham
Labour will need a record swing to win a majority at the 2024 general election, as the party’s path to power has been made more difficult by big boundary changes.
A major new YouGov survey has indicated that Labour is heading for a repeat of Tony Blair’s crushing 1997 victory over the Conservatives.
However, new research shows that Sir Keir Starmer will have to achieve a swing of 12.7 points from the Tories to become prime minister – larger than the 10.2 point swing Tony Blair managed in his landslide.
Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent reports:
Starmer needs even bigger swing than Blair to win Labour majority
‘Don’t throw in the towel’: Tory general election chief attacks rebel MPs
Tuesday 16 January 2024 11:09 , Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent
The Tory election chief Isaac Levido warned feuding MPs at the 1922 backbench committee last night that “divided parties fail” and said some rebels were “throwing in the towel”.
A YouGov survey, commissioned by Conservative party donors working with arch-Brexiteer David Frost, found that the Tories were heading for a measly 169 seats.
Mr Levido fired backed at Lord Frost. The strategist said those who organised the timing of the poll – ahead of the Rwanda vote – are “intent on undermining this government” and “more interested in what happens after the election than fighting it”.
He added: “Let me be clear. â Divided parties fail It’s time to get serious – I am fighting to win this election, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe it was possible. We all need to be fighting to win this election.”