UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSacked home secretary Suella Braverman has hit out at Rishi Sunak‘s Rwanda plans in a speech to the House of Commons as a Tory revolt over the controversial policy grows. The prime minister has been warned of rebellion by Tory MPs on both sides over his party, as well as possible resignations, over plans to get around human rights law. Ms Braverman branded the prime minister a failure and accused him of betraying a secret deal on small boats in an incendiary letter, after she was ousted in a reshuffle last month. In an excoriating criticism, she also accused him of “magical thinking” over his approach to stopping migrants crossing the English Channely, of which Rwanda is a major plank.In what was seen as a future leadership pitch, she also said she would support “authentic Conservative” government policies.Her speech comes as the government prepares to publish emergency legislation designed to save the prime minister Rwanda plan, after it was branded unlawful by the Supreme Court. Mr Sunak is thought to have ruled out a radical move to opt out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – despite a rebellion by the Tory right, including Ms Braverman’s allies. He also faced a revolt from a powerful group of Tory moderates that they could not support the legislation if he did try to flout the ECHR – arguing it was a “red line”.But one senior MP told the Independent there would be “no purpose” in the bill if it failed to address the use of human rights law to block the policy. Former home secretary Suella Braverman has added to pressure on Rishi Sunak (Justin Tallis/PA)Ms Braverman is making a personal statement to the Commons following her bitter exit last month. A similar speech by Geoffrey Howe in 1990 following his resignation in the House of Commons in 1990. Lord Howe’s resignation is often credited with ending Margaret Thatcher’s political career. Mr Sunak was not expected to watch the speech, as it clashed with a phone call between leaders of the G7 nations on a number of issues including Ukraine and the war in Gaza.MPs were asked to leave the chamber if they felt they could not abide by convention that Ms Braverman’s speech was heard in silence and without interruption. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak is said to have ruled out a radical move to opt out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – despite a rebellion by the Tory right that threatens his ‘plan B’ Rwanda legislation.It comes as the leading right-winger Suella Braverman, sacked by Mr Sunak as home secretary last month, is set to question the PM’s immigration policies in a dramatic statement in the Commons.Mr Sunak is facing revolt by Ms Braverman and other hardliners who are pushing him go for “full fat” legislation by “disapplying” the ECHR in a bid to stop judges from blocking deportations.But the PM has also been warned by a powerful group of Tory moderates that they cannot support his legislation if he does try to flout the ECHR – arguing that it would be “red line” that cannot be crossed.Mr Sunak will try to appease the Tory right by disapplying parts of the UK Human Rights Act in the legislation, according to The Times – a move described as a “middle way” option.The PM has also been warned he faces up to 10 moderate ministers quitting government if he uses emergency legislation to get around ECHR, according to The Telegraph.Tory MPs on right – including members of the New Conservatives, Commons Sense Group and European Research Group – will convene a “star chamber” of legal experts to decide with the upcoming Rwanda legislation is tough enough to support.Mark Francois, chair of the ERG, said Mr Sunak’s plan B bill must “fully respect the sovereignty of parliament” and put their wishes to get flights in the air above international law.However, Tory moderates in the ‘One Nation’ caucus – which boasts around 100 MPs – have urged Mr Sunak to remain committed to both the ECHR and the UK Human Rights Act.They too have warned of rebellion over the legislation expected to be set out on Thursday. Its chair Damian Green said Mr Sunak “should think twice before overriding both the ECHR and HRA”.Rishi Sunak is under huge pressure to get flights to Rwanda under way Stephen Hammond, deputy chair, said moderate MPs would “struggle to support a so-called full-fat” option of flouting the ECHR, while fellow moderate Matt Warman MP said overriding the ECHR would be a “red line”.As the Tory rift deepened, right-winger Simon Clarke, who wants to opt out of the ECHR, fired back at the moderates by tweeting: “Failing to stop the boats would be a red line for a number of Conservatives – namely our voters.”Home secretary James Cleverly is thought to have met ‘One Nation’ before his trip to Rwanda this week – angering the right-wing groups.The Independent understands there has been no attempt by No 10 or ministers to reach out to Tories on the right. One senior MP said there would be “no purpose” in the bill if it fails to address human rights law to block legal challenges.Suella Braverman set to add to pressure on Sunak in Commons speech Ms Braverman is expected to make a formal resignation statment in the Commons this afternoon following her bitter exit last month. She could join calls for an ECHR opt-out, or push for Mr Sunak to show he is willing to quit the convention. Some Tory MPs on the right submitted letters of no confidence in Mr Sunak on Wednesday, according to ITV presenter Robert Peston.Conservatives from the Common Sense Group, New Conservatives and the ERG are set to meet again at 6pm this evening to discuss Mr Sunak’s government Rwanda bill. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick – an ally of Ms Braverman – is still pushing for the hardline, “full fat” approach, according to The Telegraph.One option said to be under consideration is considered is giving ministers reserve powers in the legislation to ignore ECHR rulings if the court attempted to block the Rwanda policy – although opting out of the convention for asylum cases would not be automatic.Mr Sunak could try to ward off a Tory rebellion against the bill by suggesting he is willing to consider pulling the UK out of the ECHR altogether if the courts again block Rwanda flights.The row follow’s Mr Cleverly’s move to sign another treaty with Rwanda. But Mr Cleverly still could not guarantee flights would leave by next spring, as Mr Sunak hopes – as he became the third minister in less than two years to sign an agreement with the African nation.James Cleverly and Rwandan foreign minister Vincent Biruta sign the new treatyMr Cleverly promised that the “emergency” legislation would come before parliament “soon”. He also said that he could see “no reason” why migrants could not be sent from the UK to Rwanda in the coming months.Emergency legislation aimed at saving the Rwanda plan will do “whatever it takes” to protect the deal from further setbacks in the courts, a Home Office minister Chris Philp said on Wednesday. He said the bill will ensure the Rwanda deal is “legally watertight”.But former Labour home secretary David Blunkett said the government’s Rwanda deal was “stupid and impractical”. He told The House magazine that Labour should not engage in a “bidding war” with the Tories with deportation promises. The UK’s top court last month blocked the Rwanda policy over concerns that genuine refugees could be wrongly sent back to their countries of origin where they would face persecution.In an attempt to rectify this, the new treaty means British and Commonwealth judges will preside over a newly established appeals process within Rwanda’s high court for exceptional cases.Another key measure is a commitment that no-one will be removed by Rwanda to any other country except the UK. Experts from the UK will also be seconded to Rwanda to assist with the processing of asylum decisions. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email The outgoing Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, told delegates at the COP28 United Nations climate conference his country is “committed to accelerating our efforts” to tackle climate change.Whether that happens in this nation — large parts of which are under sea level and protected by dikes — depends on talks that are underway to form a new ruling coalition.Rutte’s potential successor wants to trash the country’s climate policies.One of far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders’ pledges ahead of the Nov. 22 election his PVV party won set alarm bells ringing at environmental groups.“The climate law, the climate deal and all other climate measures will go straight into the shredder,” his PVV party’s election manifesto said. “No wasting billions on useless climate hobbies, but more money for our people,” it added.“Wilders really denies climate change as something that the Netherlands should worry about. Which is interesting given that a large part of the country is below sea level,” Rem Korteweg, a senior research fellow at the Clingendael Institute think tank, said after the election.Greenpeace agrees. A day after the election, activists hoisted banners outside the prime minister’s office in The Hague that read: “No climate denier as our prime minister.”“He is a climate denier,” said Greenpeace campaigner Meike Rijksen. “He wants to take all climate policy and put it through the shredder. That’s climate denial. He’s denying the urgency of the climate crisis and what we need to do in the Netherlands.”She fears that such messages are spreading across Europe as the continent puts in place plans like the Green Deal and Fit for 55, aimed at tackling climate change head on.“We do see this trend of populist, far right political parties on the rise. And … we’re worried by that because they often are climate deniers. They’re not telling the truth. And that’s … very unhelpful in this crucial decade for climate action.”Wilders’ party beat a center-left alliance led by former European Union climate czar Frans Timmermans into second place.In April, the Dutch government unveiled a package of measures to slash carbon emissions by promoting clean energy, sustainable homes and industry and the use of electric cars.Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten said the package would cost a total of 28 billion euros in coming years and lead to a 55%-60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 benchmark levels.Wilders is advocating an end to the package, but he may have to tone down his climate policy and other pledges in his election manifesto if he wants to secure the support of other parties to form a coalition.The process of forming a new government after the election has only just begun, but as the largest party, Wilders’ PVV is in pole position to lead the next coalition with other right-leaning parties, including one that was born out of massive protests by farmers against government plans to slash nitrogen emissions.That could also mean that plans to reduce farm pollution get scrapped or watered down. The Netherlands began moves to clamp down on nitrogen after Dutch courts ruled that the country needed to do more to meet European Union rules on protected nature areas.Wilders’ sweeping election victory — his party won 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament, more than double its previous total — came days after tens of thousands of people marched through Amsterdam in the biggest climate march ever seen in the Netherlands calling for more action to tackle global warming.And less than a week after the election, the country’s official statistics agency reported that 76% of adults in the low-lying Netherlands are concerned about the impact of climate change on future generations.But despite climate activism and concerns, Wilders won the election and now gets to call the shots in coalition talks. What stays of his climate policies after talks with potential partners remains to be seen. The last Dutch coalition talks took nine months.“If Wilders was the only party in the Netherlands, it would be very disastrous for the climate,” said Greenpeace’s Rijksen.” But fortunately, we live in a coalition country, which means that Wilders needs other parties to form a government and to take those kinds of steps. We don’t think that will happen. There are a lot of parties who do want to continue with climate action.” More