✕CloseTory rebel Robert Jenrick says he is prepared to vote against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill
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Rishi Sunak will hold a press conference this morning after seeing off a rightwing rebellion on his Rwanda plan.
The prime minister is expected to give an update on the government’s immigration policies and take questions from the media.
It comes after his controversial deportation bill was passed in the Commons by 320 votes to 276 late on Wednesday night, giving the government a majority of 44.
The PM’s leadership risked being thrown into question after Tory rebels threatened to bring his Rwanda bill down, but the mutiny failed to materialise after an 11th-hour meeting in parliament ahead of the crunch vote.
In the end, only 11 Tory MPs voted against the bill including Suella Braverman, Sir Simon Clarke, Mark Francois and Robert Jenrick.
Despite winning the vote, the PM still faces a lengthy battle in the House of Lords as the government refused to say when flights to the African country might finally take off.
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Show latest update
There will be ‘significant attempts' to kill Rwanda Bill in Lords, peer warns
There will be “significant attempts” to kill the Rwanda Bill in the House of Lords, a crossbench peer has warned.
Alex Carlile, a prominent barrister, told the Politico website he would support colleagues planning to scupper the government’s flagship immigration policy.
The upper chamber usually defers to the Commons when legislation passes with a significant majority but this custom could be “tested”.
“When the chips are down — and we’re talking about international treaty obligations, and the reputation of the British legal and parliamentary system — then the House of Lords can take a much more punctilious view”, he said.
But the Labour Party has reportedly said it would stand by the convention, making it much more difficult for rebel peers to reach the required numbers to inflict a defeat on the government.
Matt Mathers18 January 2024 09:101705568421
In full: Rishi Sunak to hold surprise press conference after winning Rwanda vote
The prime minister will chair a press conference at No 9 Downing Street this morning, following his victory in the Commons last night as his Rwanda bill passed third reading.
Rishi Sunak has faced a week of rebellion after 60 of his own Conservative MPs backed rebel amendments to his flagship policy.
Zoe Grunewald reports:
Rishi Sunak to hold surprise press conference following Rwanda vote
The prime minister will update journalists on the progress of his immigration policy
Matt Mathers18 January 2024 09:001705567821
Chris Philip: Sunak ‘stronger’ after Rwanda showdown
Rishi Sunak has emerged “stronger” after a Tory rebellion over his Rwanda plan receded, Home Office minister Chris Philp has said, despite three resignations.
Asked whether the prime minister was “stronger or weaker” after the passing of the Bill but the departures of two Tory deputy chairmen and a ministerial aide, Mr Philp told LBC: “I think to the extent it has any impact on that, probably stronger.”
You can watch a clip from the exchange below:
Matt Mathers18 January 2024 08:501705566978
Show us the bill works or quit ECHR, rebels tell Sunak
Tory rightwingers who think Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan is not robust enough will now focus on trying to get the prime minister to quit the European Court of Human Rights.
MPs who voted against the bill or abstained told the i Mr Sunak must prove the legislation works by getting flights off to Rwanda by the spring or face “big trouble”.
“If he can do that it will be a big moment for Tory election chances,” one source told the paper.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his emergency Rwanda Bill will help him deliver his ‘stop the boats’ pledge (James Manning/PA)
(PA Wire)
Matt Mathers18 January 2024 08:361705566321
Labour lead up to 27 points – poll
Labour’s lead over the Conservatives has increased to 27 points, according to a poll.
The latest YouGov survey for the Times, conducted on 16 and 17 January, had the opposition up two points to 47 per cent.
The Tories were down two points to 20 per cent, with the Lib Dems on 8 per cent (-1), Reform UK on 12 per cent (+2) and the Green on 7 per cent (-1)
Matt Mathers18 January 2024 08:251705565483
Chris Philip: I won’t need to advise civil servants to break law on Rwanda plan
Home Office minister Chris Philp insisted he would not need to advise civil servants to break international law to override so-called rule 39 injunctions on the Rwanda plan.
Asked whether he would be advising officials to disregard international obligations if Strasbourg orders threaten to obstruct flights taking off, he told BBC Breakfast: “No, because international law means our treaty obligations to be clear.
“There is no reference in the treaty we signed back in 1950 to these rule 39 injunctions and the power provided for in the Bill is a lawful power.”
File photo: Chris Philp
(PA Archive)
Matt Mathers18 January 2024 08:111705565164
Rwanda Bill should pass Lords ‘fairly fast’ – minister
Home Office minister Chris Philp said Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill should pass through the Lords “fairly fast” because it is relatively short.
The legislation is expected to face serious challenges in the upper chamber.
Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Philp said: “It’s a pretty short Bill, which means it should be able to get through the House of Lords fairly fast.”
Matt Mathers18 January 2024 08:061705564829
Full report: Defiant Rishi Sunak faces down rebels to win crunch Rwanda vote
Rishi Sunak has faced down rebels within his own party to win a showdown Commons vote as he fights to save his flagship Rwanda policy.
MPs passed the embattled prime minister’s controversial deportation bill by 320 votes to 276, after most Conservative rebels “wimped out” of a threatened revolt.
Kate Devlin and Adam Forrest report:
Defiant Rishi Sunak faces down rebels to win crunch Rwanda vote
Majority of mutinous Tories retreat to plot another day as just 11 vote against PM's flagship policy
Matt Mathers18 January 2024 08:001705564692
What time is the press conference?
Sunak will hold a press conference in the briefing room at No 9 Downing Street this morning.
He is expected to speak shortly after 9.50am and will give an update on the Rwanda plan and the government’s other immigration policies.
It comes after the Rwanda plan passed its third reading in the Commons last night.
Matt Mathers18 January 2024 07:581705559400
What’s next for the Rwanda bill after PM’s victory in Commons?
The Rwanda Bill having passed the Lower House will now move on to the Lords.
The debates will start again from the first reading, which could result in political ‘ping pong’ the bill being sent back to the Commons for more changes.
If it passes its third reading in the Lords, the bill will move on to any final considerations of amendments before it gains Royal Assent and finally becomes UK law.
Rishi Sunak has made the Rwanda policy — first proposed in 2022 while Boris Johnson was in No 10 — central to his premiership, forming part of his pledge to stop small boats of migrants from coming to Britain by the English Channel.
He has tried to tread a middle path with his Safety of Rwanda Bill, aiming to avoid a damaging rebellion on the right of the party while keeping liberal so-called One Nation Conservatives content that the legislation does not breach the UK’s international commitments on human rights.
The legislation, along with a recently signed treaty with Kigali, is aimed at ensuring the scheme is legally watertight after a Supreme Court ruling against it last year.
Barney Davis18 January 2024 06:30NewerOlder✕
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