UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailInflation rose unexpectedly in December in a blow to Rishi Sunak after the prime minister suggested the economy had “turned a corner”. Consumer Prices Index inflation rose to 4 per cent in December from 3.9 per cent in November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.Labour said the rise in inflation was “bad news for families who are worse off after fourteen years of economic failure”.Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Prices are still rising in the shops, with the average weekly shop £110 more than it was before the last general election, and the average family set to be £1,200 worse off under Rishi Sunak’s tax plan.”And the Liberal Democrats said the increase would worry people across the country “seeing their pay stretched as the cost of living crisis continues to rage on”.Treasury spokesman Sarah Olney said: “Let’s be clear, after years of mismanagement and mayhem, this Conservative Government must do far more to get our economy back on track.”But the chancellor insisted “the plan is working and we should stick to it”. Jeremy Hunt insisted the ‘plan is working’ despite the increase in inflation Jermy Hunt added: “As we have seen in the US, France and Germany, inflation does not fall in a straight line. “We took difficult decisions to control borrowing and are now turning a corner, so we need to stay the course we have set out, including boosting growth with more competitive tax levels.”Wednesday’s figure means inflation stands at double the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target for inflation. ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said: “The rate of inflation ticked up a little in December, with rises in tobacco prices due to recently introduced duty increases.“These were partially offset by falling food inflation, where prices still rose but at a much lower rate than this time last year.“Meanwhile, the prices of goods leaving factories are little changed over the last few months while the costs of raw materials remain lower than a year ago.”He added that the inflation figure would have stayed flat at 3.9 per cent without the rises in tobacco prices. The rate at which prices are rising was expected to fall to 3.8 per cent in December, and the shock increase dampens the prospect of the Bank of England cutting interest rates. The central bank hiked interest rates from 0.25 per cent at the beginning of 2022 to 5.25 per cent in August in a bid to bring spiralling inflation under control. And positive economic data at the end of last year led to expectations interest rates could fall back to 4.25 per cent by the end of 2024. A dip in interest rates would be a boost to homeowners, who have been hit with huge increases in mortgage payments as a result of the Bank of England’s hikes. It comes after alcohol and tobacco inflation hit a high of more than 31 years last month, at 12.8 per cent, largely following the increased tobacco duty in November.This offset further falls in food prices, which fell back to 8 per cent last month – down from 9.2 per cent in November and the lowest rate since April 2022.There are also concerns over the impact of the Red Sea shipping attacks on inflation, as it threatens to push up the cost of oil, gas and goods being imported to the UK.The latest official figures show tobacco prices surged by 16 per cent year-on-year last month while alcohol inflation hit 9.6 per cent.Mr Hunt announced the hike in tax on tobacco in last November’s autumn statement, which came hot on the heels of a cigarette duty hike in April of last year.There was some relief for households as food prices eased back sharply once more, coming back down further from 45-year highs seen in 2023.The ONS said prices also fell at the fuel pumps, with the average price of petrol down by 8.2p a litre between November and December to stand at 142.8p.Diesel prices fell by 7.6p a litre this year to stand at 151.4p.The figures showed that air fares rose as usual between November and December, up by 57.1 per cent, compared with a 61.1 per cent rise a year ago.The annual rate for air fares was 0.8 per cent in December.The Trades Union Congress, which represents Britain’s major unions, said family budgets remain “under the cosh”.General secretary Paul Nowak said: “Prices are still going up with inflation at double the Bank of England’s target. And whether it’s covering the weekly shop or paying the bills, families remain under the cosh.“If real wages had grown at their pre-crisis trend the average worker would be earning around £15,000 a year more.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPeter Bone’s partner has said she is “proud” to have the former Tory MP on the campaign trail with her after he was booted out of parliament for sexually abusing a member of staff.Helen Harrison, who is standing in the by-election to replace Mr Bone, also said the panel which found him to have exposed himself to an aide and physically struck him had “got it wrong”.The local councillor, who has been in a relationship with Mr Bone for years, said she had seen “every single bit of evidence” in the case against the disgraced ex-MP.“I think the panel got it wrong,” she told the BBC.Former Tory MP Peter Bone was ousted by voters through a recall petition (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)It came after Mr Bone was spotted on the campaign trail in Wellingborough, where the Conservatives had a chunky 18,540 majority at the 2019 election.Pollsters have warned that the party’s decision to pick Ms Harrison could add to the partyTories’ woes, with Labour hoping to overturn the majority.But, hitting back after he was spotted knocking doors for Ms Harrison, she said: “I’m proud to have him as part of my campaign.”She denied voters are not talking about Mr Bone’s behaviour.”People are not raising that issue with me,” she said.”They’re talking to me about the small boats; they’re talking about potholes; they’re talking about their health services [and] getting more police on the beat – those issues that people are going to be voting on in this by-election.”In October, Mr Bone was found to have indecently exposed himself to a staff member and trapped him in the bathroom of a hotel room.The parliamentary commissioner for standards upheld five allegations of bullying and one of sexual misconduct against the former Wellingborough and Rushden MP.Mr Bone, one of the most outspoken pro-Brexit Conservative MPs, was found to have engaged in “violence, shouting and swearing, mocking, belittling and humiliating behaviour, and ostracism”.Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth in Wellingborough with his party’s candidate, Gen KitchenHe was suspended from parliament and then lost his seat after constituents backed removing him via a recall petition.Ms Harrison was selected as the party’s candidate for the seat after Mr Bone reportedly threatened to run as an independent in the by-election – risking a split in the Tory vote – unless she was chosen.At the time, Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow paymaster general, said: “Rishi Sunak caving to Peter Bone’s demand to select his partner so he doesn’t run as an independent shows just how weak the Prime Minister is.“Rishi Sunak is too weak to lead his own party, let alone the country. The people of Wellingborough deserve the best possible candidate to represent them, not the product of a quick political fix.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi 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 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 CashHere 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). More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s plan to force his flagship Rwanda bill through parliament was thrown into fresh turmoil as two Conservative Party deputy chairs quit after backing rebel amendments.Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith resigned after siding with right-wing Tory MPs trying to force the PM to toughen up the bill with last-minute changes.It came as ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick and other hardliners insisted that they were ready to defy the government at Wednesday’s showdown vote after their amendments were voted down.Lee Anderson backed rebel amendments to Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda billTory rebels told The Independent that there could be more than 30 MPs willing to defy Mr Sunak and hand him a humiliating defeat if he does not make his changes ahead of the vote on Wednesday evening.Former minister Sir Simon Clarke said he wasn’t “f***ing around” as he vowed to vote against the bill, while Boris Johnson encouraged the insurrection by insisting Mr Sunak’s legislation was changed to be made as “robust as possible”.Understood to have been pushed out by the government whips over their insurrection, Mr Anderson and Mr Clarke-Smith announced their exit in a joint resignation letter.The pair said they wanted to “strengthen” the bill and told the PM they would “need to offer you our resignations from our roles”. They also argued that Mr Sunak was allowing himself to be “bound by a Blair-era legal framework and international agreements which are out of date”.Speaking after his resignation, Mr 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 added he believes the Bill “could work” and insisted the prime minister still had “100%” of his support.Jane Stevenson, the parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to business secretary Kemi Badenoch, also quit after backing the rebel amendment. She said she did not consider her votes to have been “anti-government, but they do warrant resignation”. It is difficult to vote for it unamended. It’s very hard to vote for something you don’t think is going to workTory MP John HayesIn bigger-than-expected rebellions, some 68 MPs – including almost 60 Tories – voted for Sir Bill Cash’s amendment aimed at restricting the use of international law to thwart Rwanda flights. And 58 MPs voted in favour of Mr Jenrick’s amendment aimed at severely limiting individual asylum seekers’ ability to appeal. 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.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 – gathered in parliament on Tuesday night to discuss how to vote.One senior Tory rebel told The Independent: “Even if half of the 65 signatories [to amendments] 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.”Rishi Sunak faces a battle to get his Rwanda bill through the Commons Tory whips were said to be in “overdrive” trying to persuade MPs to back the government. The government does not plan to accept any of the rebel amendments – but could still produce its own changes, or even delay the crunch vote if it is facing defeat.John Hayes, the Common Sense Group leader, told The Independent: “It is difficult to vote for it unamended. It’s very hard to vote for something you don’t think is going to work.”Mr Hayes – often described as Suella Braverman’s mentor – said rebel MPs were “increasingly enthusiastic about our position”. He added: “The government could produce their own amendment or delay [the vote]. They would be wise to do so.”Tory rebel Mark Francois, chair of the European Research Group (ERG), did not rule out voting against the government. Asked if the rebels have the numbers to defeat Mr Sunak, he said: “All I will say at this stage is I think the numbers [on amendments] tonight speak for themselves.”Mr Jenrick warned in the Commons that attempts by the right to strengthen the Rwanda plan were Mr Sunak’s “last opportunity” to stop small boat crossings.The ex-immigration minister – who quit over the “weak” legislation – said he could see “no reason” why the PM could not accept his amendments and fix the flaws in his Rwanda plan “once and for all”.Ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick said Sunak was on ‘last chance’ to fix the Rwanda planThe hardliner said: “I am prepared to vote against the bill … because this bill doesn’t work, and I do believe that a better bill is possible.”In a last-ditch attempt to calm hardliners’ concerns, Mr 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.It is understood 150 judges could be brought in to deal with cases. The judiciary has identified judges who could provide 5,000 additional sitting days while extra space had been prepared.But senior Tory MP Danny Kruger, co-founder of the New Conservatives, said rebels were not satisfied by Mr Sunak’s assurances that he is prepared to ignore European judges or boost the number of judges.“I’m afraid I’m not yet satisfied by what we’ve heard from the PM,” he told GB News. “We really hope that the government has listened to us and is prepared to concede and ideally adopt the amendments as its own.”Miriam Cates – co-founder of the New Conservatives group – told BBC the desperate courts move showed that the government “is expecting a large number of individual claims”.Boris Johnson encouraged MPs to try to toughen up Sunak’s bill And Mr Johnson – at odds with Mr Sunak ever since he was kicked out of No 10 – twisted the knife by offering his support to the Tory rebels. “This bill must be as legally robust as possible – and the right course is to adopt the amendments,” the former PM said on X, formerly Twitter.Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland – a leading One Nation moderate – said Mr Sunak should keep calm and carry on. “It would be best advised not to accept any of the amendments from my colleagues on the right.”Earlier, cabinet minister Michael Gove had said that he was “pretty sure” Mr Anderson would still be in post at the next election. “Lee is a friend … the concerns that Lee has about the bill are the concerns that the country has about migration more broadly,” the levelling up secretary told Times Radio.Labour’s campaign coordinator Pat McFadden said the resignations showed that Mr Sunak is “too weak to lead his party and too weak to lead the country”.The Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunak had “again been embarrassed by his own MPs”. Home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “If the prime minister can’t even settle squabbles in his own party, how can he be expected to run the country?” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailAlan Bates has warned subpostmasters are dying while they wait for payments from the Horizon scandal compensation scheme, as he described the delays as “madness”. The campaigner, whose fight for justice sparked a public outcry after it was depicted in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, accused the fund of being “tied up in bureaucracy”. His call came as Fujitsu faced demands to stump up “substantial” sums after an extraordinary admission that it had a moral duty to contribute to the mammoth £1bn bill. The government has set aside the money for what Rishi Sunak described as “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history”.Hundreds of subpostmasters were prosecuted for theft and false accounting because of Fujitsu’s faulty computer system. Hauled in front of MPs to explain their part in the scandal, the technology giant conceded for the first time that it should pay out. Fujitsu’s Europe director Paul Patterson also apologised for what he said were “bugs and errors” in the firm’s system and for helping the Post Office prosecute subpostmasters. It came as:Mr Bates warned that it felt like a ‘financial gun’ had been held to the head of subpostmasters Another victim, Jo Hamilton, accused the Post Office of ‘gaslighting’ her Fujitsu admitted it had known of problems with the system as early as 2008 The Post Office admitted it still does not know where money paid by subpostmasters wentGiving evidence to the Commons Business and Trade committee, Mr Bates said there was no reason why subpostmasters should not have had full financial redress by now.“It’s gone on for far too long. People are suffering, they’re dying, we’re losing numbers along the way,” he said. “And it just seems to be tied up in bureaucracy.”He was still “waiting for my first offer” more than 66 days after making his application, he added. The scandal left postmasters feeling like there was a “financial gun” to their head, he said.“When you take on a post office, you actually invest a large amount of money in that business. As happened in my case, when they fell out with me, they walked off with that amount of money. A lot of people feel there’s a financial gun held to their head if they start kicking off or start raising too many problems with the Post Office.”Another former subpostmaster, Jo Hamilton, said that Post Office lawyers convinced her the losses were her fault.“It just makes me so angry that they’d literally gaslit me for about three years and turned me into a basket case,” she said.Alan Bates said the Post Office had ‘walked off’ with the money postmasters such as him had invested in their businesses In an evidence session that was tetchy at times, Post Office chief executive Nick Read said his organisation did not know where the money subpostmasters paid went. The company had not “got to the bottom of the nub of” that, he said. Some of the money may have gone to Post Office executives, he conceded, but auditors had “struggled” to tell because of the low quality of data available.Mr Read also suggested the organisation would not carry out private prosecutions in future, following criticism of their role in the fiasco.“I’ve been very clear on my watch they won’t and I see no reason why they should continue to do so,” he told MPs.Meanwhile, the official inquiry into the Horizon scandal heard that Fujitsu executives knew of faults with the system as early as 2008.In an email presented as evidence to the inquiry, a Fujitsu executive said: “If we do not fix this problem our spreadsheets presented in court are liable to be brought into doubt.” In a 2008 email under the heading “benefits and risks”, another Fujitsu executive said: “If we cannot better identify where data integrity can or cannot be guaranteed then we are in breach of contract and may be fined heavily.”Campaigners called on Fujitsu to pay a considerable amount of money towards the final bill. Fujitsu has apologised to postmasters wrongfully convicted and admitted it had a moral duty to help with compensation Former Labour minister Kevan Jones said: “I welcome the news that Fujitsu are prepared to contribute to the scheme and I think negotiations need to start, but it is going to have to be a substantial amount.”Campaigning Tory peer Lord Arbuthnot said: “It needs to be a substantial proportion of the final overall costs, whatever they may turn out to be.”Those whose convictions are quashed are eligible for a £600,000 compensation payment, or potentially more. Rishi Sunak announced earlier this month that MPs will pass a new law to exonerate those convicted because of Horizon. There will also be a new upfront payment of £75,000 to those who were not convicted but were affected by the scandal.However, No 10 has already admitted that it expects only around a third of the postmasters forced to shell out huge sums over the debacle to accept the £75,000 payment, and that many will push for more. The Post Office has already conceded it owes compensation to thousands of subpostmasters who were not convicted but were forced to pay back incorrect shortfalls – with 2,700 people so far offered an average of around £44,000 in compensation.Lawyers have also said that hundreds more victims who were caught up in the scandal could now come forward.In response to the Fujitsu official’s comments, Mr Sunak’s spokesman said: “We agree that those who are found to be responsible must be held accountable, whether that’s legally or financially.”But the No 10 official declined to “put numbers on it” when asked how much Fujitsu may end up contributing to compensation. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailTwo Tory deputy chairmen have stepped down from their party positions after backing amendments that seek to beef up Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill.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.It comes as MPs voted 529 to 68, majority 461, to reject Conservative Sir Bill Cash’s changes to the Bill, which aimed to ensure UK and international law cannot be used to prevent or delay a person being removed to Rwanda.Here, we take a look at their joint resignation letter in full:Dear Prime Minister,When we were elected in 2019 we promised the public that we would Get Brexit Done and Take Back Control. One of the key issues for the public was our sovereignty and making sure our Parliament and our courts would have supremacy over distant and unaccountable ones abroad. This Conservative Government has taken unprecedented steps to make sure that this is the case.Globally we see the huge impact of migration, both legal and illegal and that is why it has been so important to bring in measures to bring these numbers down. Our returns policy and working together with partners such as Albania is but one example of how this Government has taken up the challenge, alongside our work against criminal networks. The Rwanda plan represents a clear deterrent and it is noteworthy that other countries are now looking at following our lead.Lee Anderson was appointed deputy chairman of the Conservative party in February 2023 The United Kingdom is a welcoming country and we can be very proud of our record taking in refugees and those who wish to contribute to society and make it their home. indeed, many of those who have done so would be the first to recognise that this system also needs to be robust and supported by the principle of fairness. There are far too many who wish to cheat our system and we continue to witness the scourge of the evil people smuggling gangs, with yet more tragic deaths in the Channel.Whilst we have taken steps to tackle these important issues, we have done so being bound by a Blair-era legal framework and international agreements which are out of date and do not reflect the realities of the twenty first century.Prime Minister, you pledged to do whatever it takes to stop the boats. You have been clear and resolute over the Rwanda plan and you have stated that you will not let a foreign court block these flights. You have our 100 per cent support and the support of our constituents.Labour has no plan. They have voted against every single measure we have taken to prevent deaths in the Channel, to crack down on criminal gangs and to return those with no right to be here to their countries of origin. A Labour Government would be a disaster and would lead to an open-door immigration policy. They would scrap the Rwanda scheme in its entirety, bring around 100,000 extra asylum seekers as part of a deal with the European Union and, as they have already demonstrated and signed letters supporting, take foreign national offenders convicted of some of the most heinous crimes off flights back to their countries of origin. They have no interest whatsoever in tackling this issue and neither do the Liberal Democrats or the SNP. Brendan Clarke-Smith has resigned alongside Lee Anderson In the past we have signed amendments, voted for ten minute rule bills and spoken on various occasions in the media to argue that safeguards need to put in place to make sure our legislation is watertight. It is therefore important in terms of credibility that we are consistent with this.We have already had two pieces of legislation thwarted by a system that does not work in favour of the British people. It is for this reason that we have supported the amendments to the Rwanda Bill. This is not because we are against the legislation, but because like everybody else we want it to work. This task is not an easy one and we appreciate the fine balance that must be struck.As two people who have been on very different political journeys, one as a person who followed the same path many voters did for the first time at the last General Election and another who has been a lifelong Conservative Party supporter, it has been a huge honour for both of us to serve as Deputy Chairmen of the party. CCHQ has an excellent team and the Chairman is doing a tremendous job in making sure we are in good shape to campaign for a historic fifth term and to prevent the unthinkable prospect of a Labour Government, which would damage this country so much.Our support for the party and this Government remains as strong as ever and that is why we are so passionate about making this legislation work. However, we fully appreciate that with such important roles there is also the 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.We commend your work on illegal migration so far and your commitment to implementing the will of the British people. The last thing either of us wants to do is to distract from this. We both look forward to making this legislation work, to carrying out the will of the British people and to taking on Labour and winning the next General Election.Yours sincerely, Lee Anderson MP Brendan Clarke-Smith MP More