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Rishi Sunak’s authority has been dealt a fresh blow as two Tory deputy chairmen resigned to join a major Conservative rebellion over his Bill aimed at reviving the stalled Rwanda deportation plan.
Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith stepped down in order to vote for two amendments that right-wing MPs claim will help to protect the government’s flagship asylum policy from legal challenge. Jane Stevenson also quit her role as a parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Business and Trade to back the amendments.
Mr Anderson and Mr Clarke-Smith backed the changes tabled by former immigration minister Robert Jenrick and veteran Tory Sir Bill Cash “not because we are against the legislation, but because like everybody else we want it to work”, they said.
Around 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.
Conservative MP Lee Anderson has stepped down
(PA Wire)
The amendment was rejected by a majority of 461, but the rebellion gives an indication of the scale of unease within the Conservative Party during an election year.
The 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 – third reading – which is expected on Wednesday.
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.
Mr Jenrick had aimed to change the Bill to severely limit individual asylum seekers’ ability to appeal against being put on a flight to Kigali. The Commons later rejected his amendment 525 to 58, majority 467.
Here we take a look at all the Tory MPs to back the amendments:
Sir Bill Cash’s amendment:
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.
Here is a look at the 58 Conservatives who backed the amendment:
- Lee Anderson (Ashfield),
- Sarah Atherton (Wrexham),
- Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen),
- Bob Blackman (Harrow East),
- Ben Bradley (Mansfield),
- Suella Braverman (Fareham),
- Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South),
- Paul Bristow (Peterborough),
- William Cash (Stone),
- Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham),
- Christopher Chope (Christchurch),
- Simon Clarke (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland),
- Brendan Clarke-Smith (Bassetlaw),
- Philip Davies (Shipley),
- Sarah Dines (Derbyshire Dales),
- Richard Drax (South Dorset),
- James Duddridge (Rochford and Southend East) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones),
- Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green),
- Michael Fabricant (Lichfield),
- Nick Fletcher (Don Valley),
- Kevin Foster (Torbay),
- Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford),
- Chris Green (Bolton West),
- James Grundy (Leigh),
- Jonathan Gullis (Stoke-on-Trent North),
- John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings),
- Darren Henry (Broxtowe),
- Philip Hollobone (Kettering),
- Adam Holloway (Gravesham),
- Eddie Hughes (Walsall North),
- Tom Hunt (Ipswich),
- Robert Jenrick (Newark),
- Caroline Johnson (Sleaford and North Hykeham),
- David Jones (Clwyd West),
- Danny Kruger (Devizes),
- Andrew Lewer (Northampton South),
- Marco Longhi (Dudley North),
- Jonathan Lord (Woking),
- Craig Mackinlay (South Thanet) (Proxy vote cast by John Redwood),
- Karl McCartney (Lincoln),
- Robin Millar (Aberconwy),
- Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot),
- Jill Mortimer (Hartlepool),
- Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills),
- Lia Nici (Great Grimsby),
- Neil O’Brien (Harborough),
- Matthew Offord (Hendon),
- Tom Randall (Gedling),
- John Redwood (Wokingham),
- Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury),
- Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield),
- Greg Smith (Buckingham),
- Henry Smith (Crawley),
- Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East),
- Desmond Swayne (New Forest West),
- Elizabeth Truss (South West Norfolk),
- Bill Wiggin (North Herefordshire).
Tellers for the ayes were Conservative MPs Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset) and Miriam Cates (Penistone and Stocksbridge).
Robert Jenrick’s amendment:
MPs voted 525 to 58, majority 467, to reject an amendment from Conservative former minister Robert Jenrick that aimed to severely limit individual asylum seekers’ ability to appeal against being put on a flight to Rwanda.
The division list released after the Commons vote contained 59 names for the ayes and 523 for the noes, but updates to the list can occur. Conservative Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) was listed on both the ayes and noes. He voted with the Government on the earlier amendment tabled by Sir Bill Cash
Here are the 57 Tory MPs who backed Mr Jenrick’s amendment:
- Adam Afriyie (Windsor),
- Lee Anderson (Ashfield),
- Sarah Atherton (Wrexham),
- Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen),
- Bob Blackman (Harrow East),
- Ben Bradley (Mansfield),
- Suella Braverman (Fareham),
- Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South),
- Paul Bristow (Peterborough),
- William Cash (Stone),
- Christopher Chope (Christchurch),
- Simon Clarke (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland),
- Brendan Clarke-Smith (Bassetlaw),
- Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds),
- Philip Davies (Shipley),
- Sarah Dines (Derbyshire Dales),
- Richard Drax (South Dorset),
- James Duddridge (Rochford and Southend East) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones),
- Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green),
- Michael Fabricant (Lichfield),
- Nick Fletcher (Don Valley),
- Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford),
- Chris Green (Bolton West),
- James Grundy (Leigh),
- Jonathan Gullis (Stoke-on-Trent North),
- John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings),
- Darren Henry (Broxtowe),
- Philip Hollobone (Kettering),
- Adam Holloway (Gravesham),
- Eddie Hughes (Walsall North),
- Tom Hunt (Ipswich),
- Robert Jenrick (Newark),
- Caroline Johnson (Sleaford and North Hykeham),
- David Jones (Clwyd West),
- Danny Kruger (Devizes),
- Edward Leigh (Gainsborough),
- Andrew Lewer (Northampton South),
- Marco Longhi (Dudley North),
- Craig Mackinlay (South Thanet) (Proxy vote cast by John Redwood),
- Karl McCartney (Lincoln),
- Robin Millar (Aberconwy),
- Nigel Mills (Amber Valley),
- Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot),
- Jill Mortimer (Hartlepool),
- Lia Nici (Great Grimsby),
- Neil O’Brien (Harborough),
- Matthew Offord (Hendon),
- Tom Randall (Gedling),
- John Redwood (Wokingham),
- Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury),
- Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield),
- Greg Smith (Buckingham),
- Henry Smith (Crawley),
- Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East),
- Desmond Swayne (New Forest West),
- Elizabeth Truss (South West Norfolk),
- Bill Wiggin (North Herefordshire).
Tellers for the ayes were Conservative MPs Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset) and Miriam Cates (Penistone and Stocksbridge).
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