Tory rebel Robert Jenrick says he is prepared to vote against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill
Sir Keir Starmer has attacked Rishi Sunak’s “farcical” government in a brusing PMQs showdown, as the prime minister faces the biggest test of his premiership in a crunch Commons vote on his flagship Rwanda policy.
A group of 60 right-wing Tory MPs, backed by Boris Johnson, threatened the PM’s plan by backing amendments aimed at toughening it up on Tuesday evening, with both Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith quitting as deputy chairmen to vote with the rebels.
If around 30 of the rebels carry out their threats to vote against Mr Sunak again on Wednesday night, the PM will be handed a humiliating defeat – potentially sparking yet another Tory leadership contest or a general election within weeks.
One senior Sunak ally claimed to The Independent that the risk of an early election – with an almost certain Labour victory – will make the rebels will back off, allowing the PM and his battered administration to live to fight another day.
Tory Rwanda rebels hold Sunak’s fate in their hands
UK departure from ECHR would be Brexit 2.0
Campaigners have warned that Britain’s departure from the ECHR would amount to “Brexit 2.0” and further damage to the UK’s international reputation.
The European Movement UK called on Rishi Sunak to commit to protecting Britain’s membership of the court, amid the push from right-wing rebels to ignore European judges and consider quitting the convention altogether.
Sir Nick Harvey, chief executive of European Movement UK, said: “While the government’s Rwanda policy is concerning in itself, the possible departure of the UK from the ECHR would be utterly catastrophic. In terms of the impact it would have on our human rights and justice system, the departure would be an event on a scale akin to Brexit 2.0.”
Rebels predicted to ‘melt like snowflakes’
One MP who plans to vote against the government’s Rwanda Bill has predicted that Tory rebels will ‘melt like snowflakes on a deck’ when the crunch comes later.
No 10 is quietly confident it will get the legislation though the Commons.
A number 10 source said: “We don’t take any vote for granted but this is the toughest legislation ever brought before parliament to tackle illegal migration. It will make it clear that if you come here illegally you will not be able to stay.”
No 10 says ‘guidance’ coming for civil servants
Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said there would be “additional guidance” for civil servants to give “clarity” on following ministers decisions in the application of the legislation, denying the code would be rewritten.
The spokesman said the guidance will make clear civil servants can “continue to abide by the code” and “carry out the request of ministers” if they decide to ignore injunctions on Rwanda flights.
Despite warnings from Robert Jenrick and others that the bill will not let ministers ignore injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights, the No 10 official insisted the bill “deliberately legislating to give ministers the power” to do so.
I’m here to ensure policy works, insists Jenrick
Robert Jenrick told the Government he was “here to help” with his amendment aimed at safeguarding against Rule 39 orders.
The Tory former immigration minister told MPs: “We have the power to fix this and we have the responsibility. So let’s use the opportunity we have today with the amendment that we have brought forward to resolve this.
“Or else we will be here in two months’ time, the Strasbourg court will impose a Rule 39, the Government will be scrambling around how to resolve this, and the Government will have no-one else to blame.
“I am here to help the Government to ensure this policy works, because I like everyone, at least on this side of the House, believes passionately that we have to make this policy work and to stop the boats.
“So I strongly encourage the Prime Minister to support the amendment in my name, and that of many others, and encourage everyone else on all sides of this House who share my determination to fix this problem to do exactly the same.”
‘He was just doing his job’ – Starmer’s spokesman on Hizb ut-Tahrir work
Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman has defended the Labour leader’s work for the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, insisting he was “just doing his job”.
Rishi Sunak attacked Sir Keir at PMQ’s for offering legal advice to the group after it was banned in Germany.
The PM said: “When I see a group chanting jihad on our streets I ban them; he invoices them.”
But Sir Keir’s official spokesman said choosing to give legal advice to a group was very different from agreeing with or endorsing the views of that organisation.
“Lawyers give advice to organisations they don’t necessarily agree with or support,” he said.
Cameron confident bill will pass
Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he was confident the Rwanda Bill would pass at third reading in the Commons.
Taking questions at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he admitted that Rishi Sunak’s flagship asylum policy was “unorthodox” but stressed the need for “out-of-the-box thinking” to tackle illegal migration.
Lord Cameron said: “The Rwanda Bill will have its third reading tonight in Parliament. I’m confident it will be passed.”
He told the audience: “Unless you’re prepared to do something that stops this trade in human beings… unless you’re prepared to do the innovative thinking, the out-of-the-box thinking, then you are a politician that has got nothing to say about solving this problem.
“And I would say that what Rishi Sunak and what the Government is doing is yes, it’s quite unorthodox in some ways, but it’s necessary to do this out-of-the-box thinking to break the model of this appalling people-smuggling.”
Jenrick says Bill does not let ministers ignore European court
Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has told MPs the attorney general had advised ministers they could not ignore injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as the law currently stands.
The leading Tory rebel said it was “in theory at the discretion of a minister as to whether or not to comply” with a rule 39 injunction on Rwanda deportations from the Strasbourg Court.
Mr Jenrick added: “Belying that was the government legal advice that in its opinion, which I believe to be erroneous, it would be in breach of international law to do so.”
“The attorney general and the government legal service therefore, as far as I am aware, continue to advise ministers and civil servants that a decision not to support a rule 39 interim measure would be illegal and would be in breach on the ministerial code.”
Mr Jenrick warned that as night follows day “we will find ourselves in exactly the same situation we were in in the summer of 2022” – when a Rwanda deportation flight was stopped.
Rwandan president offers Britain refund if plan fails
Watch: MP thanks NHS for saving his life when he had heart attack
MP reveals he suffered heart attack as he thanks NHS for saving his life
An MP has revealed he suffered a heart attack just five months ago and thanked those who helped save his life. Dean Russell, MP for Watford, used his time during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (17 January) to thank those who helped him. Mr Russell said: “Unexpectedly, five months ago, I had a heart attack. Thanks to the swift action of the NHS and emergency services, it was caught early. So one stent operation later, I was on a swift path to rehabilitation and recovery, and I’m now sat here today fighting fit, and a bit lighter too.”
