Indy TV

Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, and Grant Shapps arrived in Warsaw on Tuesday (23 April) just hours after the government’s controversial Rwanda Bill was passed.The prime minister is expected to unveil an extra £500 million of military funding to Ukraine and announce the largests supply of munitions as he reinforces his ties with key European allies.The largest package of munitions is expected to include a mix of 1,600 strike and air defence missiles; an unspecified number of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, one of the most powerful weapons; and 400 all-terrain and armoured vehicles.Mr Sunak will meet his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk, as well as Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of Nato, to discuss European security and support to Ukraine. More

A Tory immigration minister was grilled on immigration figures as migrants were seen travelling through the Channel on a boat live on air.Michael Tomlinson was questioned on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, 23 April, after Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda bill was given the green light in parliament the day before.“People crossing the channel… have known that they could be sent to Rwanda… What we’re seeing right now… on BBC Breakfast is people still prepared to take that risk. They are not deterred,” host Jon Kay said.Mr Tomlinson pushed back that “the deterrent effect” would take time.“Hardly anyone is getting on a small boat now from Albania because the deterrent effect has come in,” he insisted. More

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has said not a single asylum seeker will go to Rwanda under a Labour government.The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration Bill) cleared Parliament shortly after midnight today (23 April) after peers backed down, ending resistance to the scheme.The prime minister hopes the Rwanda scheme will deter migrants from seeking to cross the English Channel, Ms Cooper called the Bill “an extortionately expensive gimmick rather than a serious plan to tackle dangerous boat crossings” during an interview with Sky News.When asked by presenter Kay Burley: “So no one during a Labour government will go to Rwanda?”, Ms Cooper replied: “No, that’s not our plan.” More

Power briefly went off in the House of Lords on Monday evening (22 April) as a peer was mid-way through a speech.Lights in the chamber flickered before going out while Lord Bellamy was speaking at the despatch box.After television screens and microphones also turned off, the justice minister prompted laughter as he joked: “I must have said something controversial.”Lord Bellamy was able to continue reading his notes by using a table lamp during a short debate on support for parents considering separation.It came amid the late-night back-and-forth between the Commons and Lords over amendments to Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda bill. More

A Tory immigration minister appeared to bang the table during a heated BBC Radio 4 interview discussing Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda bill.Michael Tomlinson spoke to Mishal Husain a day after the plan to deport asylum seekers to the African nation was given the green light after peers caved to pressure.When pressed on whether victims of torture or human trafficking would be sent to Rwanda under the legislation, Mr Tomlinson insisted the nation is a “safe country.””You could ask me an infinite number of challenges… You’re not going to get that clarity because the act hasn’t yet come into force,” he added in the tense exchange. More

The first flight carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda will leave in 10 to 12 weeks, Rishi Sunak has today said (22 April).The prime minister said “enough is enough” as he said MPs and peers would sit through the night if necessary to get the Safety of Rwanda Bill through Parliament.At a Downing Street press conference he blamed Labour opposition to the scheme for the delays, but vowed: “We will start the flights and we will stop the boats.”The prime minister said an airfield was on standby and charter flights had been booked to take asylum seekers on the one-way trip to Rwanda.Mr Sunak said: “No ifs, no buts. These flights are going to Rwanda.” More

Rishi Sunak said he had confidence in Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley after a London officer described an antisemitism campaigner as “openly Jewish”.Gideon Falter was threatened with arrest and told his presence was “antagonising” protesters yards away from him.In a press conference on Monday, 22 April, the prime minister pledged support for the commissioner but said he needed to rebuild “confidence and trust” with the Jewish community.The force initially apologised for the incident, but then apologised for its apology after suggesting opponents of pro-Palestine marches “must know that their presence is provocative”.Suella Braverman has called for Sir Mark to resign. More

Suella Braverman and Mishal Husain clashed during a BBC Radio 4 interview listeners branded a “car-crash” as the MP admitted she had not seen the full video in which an antisemitism campaigner was described as “openly Jewish” by the Metropolitan Police.The pair discussed footage in which Gideon Falter was threatened with arrest and told his presence was “antagonising” protesters yards away in London.Ms Braverman called for Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to resign after the exchange.When Ms Husain proposed that Ms Braverman’s comments were based on “incomplete information,” the politician responded: “I’m basing what I’m saying on six months of information… The police have chosen a side.” More