Markus Andrews

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailThe Prime Minister has successfully defused a Tory revolt, following a crunch vote on his flagship migration policy.The government’s new Rwanda bill would order British judges and courts to ignore some sections of the UK Human Rights Act to allow for the deportation of asylum seekers to the African country.Under the plan, asylum seekers that arrive in Britain will be sent to Rwanda for processing where they could either be granted refugee status or allowed to stay.If not, they could apply to settle there on other grounds or seek asylum in another “safe third country”. So far, no asylum seekers have been sent there.There has been significant division on both sides of the Conservative Party over the bill, with the prime minister facing another battle with his own MPs within weeks after parliament backed his emergency legislation by 313 votes to 269.And he now faces an uphill struggle to pass the bill at its next hurdle after Tory rebels, many of whom abstained instead of voting it down, warned they could not support it without significant changes.It comes as Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker waded into the long-running debate, signing a letter, along with dozens of celebrities and high-profile figures, calling for a new asylum system that “reflects the will of the British people”.We want to know if you think it’s time the divisive immigration scheme was scrapped altogether? What would a new asylum system look like to you? If you want to share your opinion then add it in the comments and we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.All you have to do is sign up and register your details – then you can then take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here.Join the conversation with other Independent readers below. More

Sir Chris Bryant laid out five reasons he believed were why MPs should vote against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill during a debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 12 December.The Labour MP for Rhondda described the emergency legislation as “laughable” and said it “seeks to reverse a finding of fact by the highest court in the land.”The prime minister published new planned legislation, entitled the Safety of Rwanda Bill, which would deem Rwanda safe in British law after the original bill was struck down as unlawful by the Supreme Court.A vote on the bill was scheduled for 7pm on Tuesday. More

James Cleverly said that the death of an asylum seeker on board the Bibby Stockholm barge will be investigated fully.The home secretary told MPs in the House of Commons: “Tragically, there has been (a) death on the Bibby Stockholm barge. I’m sure that the thoughts of the whole House, like mine, are with those affected.“The House will understand that at this stage I am uncomfortable getting into any more details. But we will of course investigate fully.”Dorset Police said they received a report of a sudden death of a resident on the Bibby Stockholm at 6:22am. More

Rishi Sunak should ‘pull the Rwanda bill’ now, says Tory right-wingerSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has been warned the Conservatives “could be out of power forever” as the crunch debate on his Rwanda bill begins.Speaking to Times Radio, former Tory leader Lord William Hague said that MPs “picking holes” in the prime minister’s plan rather than uniting ahead of the key vote tonight “have only got opposition to look forward to”.Home Secretary James Cleverly opened the Commons debate on the bill, which would designate Rwanda as a safe country for asylum seekers and be voted on at 7pm.The bid for Mr Sunak’s latest plan to “stop the boats” comes as it was confirmed that an asylum seeker died on the Bibby Stockholm barge, the accommodation used by the government to house migrants.The prime minister is facing a potential rebellion from warring factions of his party over the bill and hosted an emergency breakfast in Downing Street with rebels in an attempt to convince them to vote for the bill.Right-wing Conservatives are set to hold a joint meeting tonight to discuss the vote – but there is an increasing belief among Tory rebels that Mr Sunak’s bill will be successful.Show latest update
1702392707Rebels warned of ‘consequences’ if they vote against Rishi Sunak’s planTory rebels have been warned not to vote against Rishi Sunak’s deal or there will be “consequences”, it has emerged. Those considering opposing the PM’s plan could lose the Conservative Party whip, The Sun’s political editor Harry Cole reported.Archie Mitchell, Political Correspondent12 December 2023 14:511702392660Watch: Cleverly promises investigation after asylum seeker dies on Bibby StockholmCleverly promises investigation after asylum seeker dies on Bibby StockholmTara Cobham12 December 2023 14:511702392565Jenrick: ‘The test of this policy is, “Will it work?”’Conservative former immigration minister Robert Jenrick told the Commons: “This is not a bad Bill but it is not the best Bill. I want this Bill to work.“The test of this policy is not ‘is it the strongest Bill we’ve done?’, it’s not ‘is it a good compromise?’, it’s ‘will it work?’.“That is all the public care about. They don’t care about Rwanda as a scheme, they care about stopping the boats. And we are sent here to do that for them.“I will never elevate contested notions of international law over the interests of my constituents, over vital national interests like national security, like border security.“This Bill could be so much better, let’s make it better. Let’s make it work.”Tara Cobham12 December 2023 14:491702392260Cleverly promises investigation after asylum seeker dies on Bibby StockholmThe home secretary told MPs in the House of Commons: “Tragically, there has been (a) death on the Bibby Stockholm barge. I’m sure that the thoughts of the whole House, like mine, are with those affected.“The House will understand that at this stage I am uncomfortable getting into any more details. But we will of course investigate fully.”Dorset Police said they received a report of a sudden death of a resident on the Bibby Stockholm at 6:22am.Rhys Jones reports: More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer has lashed out at Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, claiming they behave like Donald Trump.The Labour leader launched a blistering attack on the Tories to mark the fourth anniversary of his own party’s electoral wipeout under Jeremy Corbyn.In a pitch to disaffected Conservative voters, he laid out the “complete overhaul” Labour has undergone since 2019. And he said the Tories under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and now Rishi Sunak have “moved in the opposite direction”.Sir Keir said Britain has always been a “practical nation” in the past, even under Tory governments.“But these aren’t Churchillian tourists anymore, if anything they behave more and more like Donald Trump,” he added.The Labour leader said: “They look at the politics of America, and they want to bring it here. It’s all woke, woke, woke, wedge, wedge wedge, divide, divide, divide.“People can’t afford Christmas.”Sir Keir Starmer during a speech in Milton Keynes Sir Keir also attacked the Conservatives’ record on the NHS and crime, saying crimes are going unsolved and people do not know if ambulances will come when called.And he vowed Labour would no longer indulge in “performance art” policies such as the Rwanda scheme, but would indulge in “the mundane stuff, the bureaucratic stuff”.“It’s not about wave machines, or armoured jet skis, or schemes like your wonder you know will never work, it’s about doing the basics better,” Sir Keir said.In a speech from Milton Keynes, the Labour leader appealed directly to Conservative voters, saying: “Only a change of government can bring change to our country.”Sir Keir also used a Q&A after the speech to confirm the party would scrap Mr Sunak’s flagship Rwanda deportation policy.He said it is costing a “fortune”, will not work and is “against our values”. But he opened the door to the party considering a similar scheme, where asylum claims could be processed elsewhere, with successful asylum seekers able to return to the UK.Sir Keir said: “There are various schemes, as you know, around the world where individuals are processed, usually en route to their country of destination, elsewhere.”The Rwanda scheme isn’t one of those. This is a straight deportation scheme in relation to people who’ve already arrived.”Other countries around the world do have schemes where they divert people on the way and process them elsewhere. That’s a different kind of scheme.”And look, I’ll look at any scheme that might work.”Elsewhere in the speech, Sir Keir defended his time serving under predecessor Mr Corbyn. “We did lose our way, we lost our way into that 2019 election four years ago today,” he said.But he went further and appeared to criticise the leadership of other former leaders including Ed Miliband and ex-prime minister Gordon Brown.Asked about his claim that Labour had taken a “leave of absence from our job description”, “not just under Jeremy Corbyn, but for a while”, Sir Keir insisted he was not critiquing any “particular individual”.But said “it is a reflection of the fact that we have lost four elections in a row”, including under Mr Brown in 2010.Tory chairman Greg Holden said: “Once again Sir Keir Starmer showed he is only interested in short-term political positioning, not taking long-term decisions in the national interest.” More

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planetGet our free Climate emailThe UK climate minister Graham Stuart has left the Cop28 climate negotiations at a critical moment to fly thousands of miles back to parliament for a crunch vote on the government’s controversial plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Mr Stuart would return to Dubai after the vote, a round-trip of more than 6,000 miles.Mr Stuart was the ministerial head of delegation at the Dubai summit, where nations are in a stand off over the future of fossil fuels. Climate groups called the decision a “slap in the face” as countries try and agree a final deal.Richard Benyon, the minister of state for overseas territories, is currently the leading presence on the ground, a representative at the UK delegation offices inside the Dubai Expo venue told The Independent. In the wake of the news, Mr Benyonposted on social media that Britain is at “the heart of negotiations giving real leadership” as the negotiations reach their final “vital” stage.Asked about the carbon emissions from the flights Mr Stuart would take, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “This government is not anti-flying. We don’t lecture the public to that regard. The most important thing is the outcomes of Cop, which minister Stuart is obviously leading for the UK on.”Ministers have a number of roles, the negotiations continue and he will return to Cop.”A government spokesperson said that would still be “full official representation on the ground” at the summit, including by Lord Benyon. “Minister Stuart will continue to be the lead UK minister for negotiations and remains in constant contact with the UK lead climate negotiator and Lord Benyon, with any final decisions agreed with him,” they added.Climate advocates slammed the decision to send Mr Stuart back to the UK.“As world leaders are locked in intense negotiations to discuss the existential threat posed by climate disaster, the departure of Minister Stuart is yet a further slap in the face to countries urging major polluters like the UK to act, said Hannah Bond, co-director of policy advocacy at ActionAid UK. In a shocking betrayal of trust as COP wraps up, the Prime Minister seems happier to fight the culture wars and not climate change”Ed Miliband, Labour shadow secretary of state for energy security and net zero said this is the latest episode in Mr Sunak “tanking Britain’s reputation on the world stage” and that it is a “sad truth” that “many countries simply won’t even notice that his minister has disappeared.”“Graham Stuart flying home in the middle of negotiations tells you everything you need to know about the Tories,” he added.Calling time on the fossil-fuel era, the root cause of the climate crisis, has emerged as the central fight of the Dubai negotiations – as nations scramble to keep the goal of limiting average global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels within reach and with 2023 set to be the hottest year humans have ever experienced. The latest draft text put out on Monday had removed the words “phase out” and “phase down” of fossil fuels from the options for delegates to agree upon, calling instead for “reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner” while framing such cuts in output as optionalThat sparked a fierce reaction from some of the nations most vulnerable to the impact of the climate crisis, saying they had not come to “sign our death certificate” while a representative for the EU called the draft “unacceptable” and warned that the bloc could walk away from discussions. The US said that the wording of the draft text, including about fossil fuels, needed to be “substantially strengthened”.The UK has also hit at at the latest draft, with a government spokesperson saying: “This draft is disappointing and does not go far enough. The UK position is clear – there must be a phase out of unabated fossil fuels to meet our climate goals.”The UK is working with all parties and will continue to push for an ambitious outcome at COP28 that keeps 1.5 degrees in reach.”Climate groups have questioned the UK’s committment to the climate, pointing to plans for a new round of oil and gas licences in the North Sea. Mr Sunak attended Cop28 briefly in the opening days of the summit, but was criticised for staying for less time talking to other leaders than he spent on the private jet that took him to Dubai and back.Chiara Liguori, Oxfam’s senior climate change policy advisor, said: “There can be no more tragic outcome for UK climate diplomacy than this – flying home from talks to avert a climate catastrophe at the most critical moment in an attempt to salvage a cruel and impractical policy,” said.Claire Coutinho, the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, also attended for at the beginning of the talks, but Mr Stuart has been in charge for the crunch negotiations over the summit agreement. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe rejection of Rishi Sunak’s latest Rwanda bill will plunge his premiership into turmoil.The prime minister has denied that tonight’s result amounts to a vote of confidence in his leadership – but senior Tories have said otherwise.Of his five key pledges to the nation, the promise to “stop the boats” has taken up the most political capital.And MPs who support the Rwanda plan – which would see asylum seekers who arrive in the UK via “irregular routes” such as small boat crossings – believe it is a necessary deterrent.After it was struck down as unlawful by the Supreme Court, Mr Sunak published new planned legislation, entitled the Safety of Rwanda Bill, which would deem Rwanda safe in British law.It will be voted on in the House of Commons this evening and faces being the first bill defeated at its second reading since Margaret Thatcher’s 1986 Shops Bill – which would have ended the regulation of Sunday shopping in England and Wales.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces another long and difficult day, as he bids to see of a major rebellion Who is opposing the bill?The so-called “five families” groups of backbench Tory MPs pose the biggest threat to the bill’s passage.The European Research Group (ERG), New Conservatives, Conservative Growth Group, Common Sense Group, and Northern Research Group have commissioned a “star chamber” of lawyers to determine whether it goes far enough to ensure flights to Rwanda get off the ground.The groups fear that in its current form, the bill would see the policy undermined by a stream of individual court appeals against deportation flights.The ERG, which commissioned the star chamber, said the group only “provides a partial and incomplete solution” and called on Mr Sunak to “pull the bill”.Mr Sunak met with a group of Tory MPs from the right of the party on Tuesday morning to convince them over breakfast to vote for the billMr Sunak met for breakfast with a group of Tory MPs from the right of the party on Tuesday morning in a desperate bid to convince them to vote for the bill. Do they have the numbers?If 29 Tory MPs vote against the bill it will fail, so yes – many more MPs than that have expressed their concerns.But the right-wing groups have not publicly pledged to vote it down, with many planning to let it go through its second reading before trying to introduce amendments later.Abstentions could also see the law chucked out if 57 Conservative MPs decide to vote neither for or against the bill.What happens if Mr Sunak loses?The PM’s ability to govern would be shot and he could either quit, contest a Tory leadership challenge or go to the country by calling a general election.If Mr Sunak quits or choses to fight a leadership contest, challengers would likely include former immigration ministers Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick. Others courting votes on the right of the party could include business secretary Kemi Badenoch and leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt.Most Tory MPs are resigned to Mr Sunak leading the party into the next election, which is expected at some point next year. Yet another change of leader would see the fourth prime minister installed since Boris Johnson won the last election in 2019. The clamour for a general election would be immense.Some in the party, including senior MP Charles Walker, believe Mr Sunak would have to go to the country, adding that the prospect of a third Tory leadership contest in this parliament “leaves me cold”.If Mr Sunak goes straight to the country, he could fight the election on his promise to take tough action to “stop the boats”, using illegal immigration to draw a dividing line with the Labour Party. A win would give a strong democratic mandate to the Rwanda plan, which did not form part of the last Conservative manifesto.But with his party 20 points behind in the polls, a general election is likely to be a situation Mr Sunak will want to avoid.Can he defuse the rebellion?It is unlikely. If the bill passes its second reading tonight with the support of would-be right wing rebels, they will quickly turn their energy to seeking amendments.But any major changes pose two risks for the PM.One is that the Rwandan government has been clear with the UK that if the bill goes any further in disregarding international laws, it will pull out.Any amendments could also see the 100-strong One Nation group turn their backs on the bill, which would see it fall at a future vote.What if the bill gets through the commons?The bill would still face many hurdles, even if MPs approve it tonight. It will face rounds of discussion and debate, as well as a tricky passage through the Lords.And the Labour party has confirmed it will scrap the Rwandan deportation policy, meaning that if it fails to turn Tory fortunes around, it would have a limited time in force anyway. More

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsWatch live as MPs vote on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s emergency Rwanda legislation on Tuesday, 12 December.The Prime Minister is attempting to defuse a Tory revolt, as there stands significant division on both sides of the Conservative Party over the bill.Some on the right of the party want a tougher law, while those towards the left have warned against the bill breaching international law in the future.Mr Sunak met with potential rebels over breakfast this morning, attempting to convince them to back the legislation.Last month, the Supreme Court struck the original policy down as unlawful, concluding there was a real risk that genuine refugees sent to Rwanda could be returned to their home country, where they would face “ill-treatment.”The government says the new bill addresses the court’s concerns, and makes it “clear that Rwanda is a safe country for asylum seekers.” More