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    Rishi Sunak now as unpopular as Boris Johnson when he quit, poll reveals

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s popularity has hit a record low, and he is now as unpopular as Boris Johnson before he was forced out of Downing Street.As the prime minister battles a civil war on the Tory back benches, his favourability with the public has continued to plunge.In a damning poll conducted ahead of Tuesday’s crunch vote on Mr Sunak’s Rwanda bill, just 21 per cent of people said they have a positive view of the PM.That compared with 70 per cent of people who said they view him negatively, leaving his approval rating at -49, a 10-point drop from the end of November. It is also 30 points below Mr Sunak’s rating when he took over as PM.It is the lowest approval rating YouGov has recorded for the prime minister since he took over from Liz Truss last October.The embattled PM’s rating is lower than Mr Johnson’s rating before he was forced to quit over a series of scandals including Partygate. And it is tumbling toward the -70 approval rating hit by Liz Truss during her disastrous 49-day stint in Downing Street.Mr Sunak was relatively popular when he took over, having won praise for his handling of the economy through the pandemic. And Tories had hoped that he would restore the party’s reputation after the Johnson and Truss administrations.But the dip in Mr Sunak’s popularity also means he is now as unpopular as the Conservative Party as a whole.YouGov also found Mr Sunak is viewed negatively by a majority of 2019 Tory voters, who the party needs to hold onto to win a general election expected next year.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s approval rating has also dipped in recent weeks, with a score of -22.The damning finding for Mr Sunak comes as he grapples with a major Tory rebellion over his Rwanda deportation plan.The PM emerged wounded from a crunch vote over a bill to deem Rwanda a safe country to deport asylum seekers in a bid to revive the policy after it was struck down by the Supreme Court. Parliament backed his emergency legislation by 313 votes to 269But he faces another battle over the bill within weeks, with Tory rebels warning they could vote against the bill without significant changes.The polling also come after it was confirmed Mr Sunak is failing on four of his five key pledges to the country.In January, he promised to halve inflation, grow the economy, cut national debt, cut waiting lists and stop small boat crossings in the channel.Inflation fell from more than 10 per cent at the time of the announcement, to 4.6 per cent last month, in a boost for the PM.But since the pledge, waiting lists have hit a record high, national debt has risen and migrants have continued crossing the channel in small boats.And figures from the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday morning showed the economy shrinking faster than expected, meaning the PM is also failing to grow the economy.Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the data shows that Mr Sunak’s government had “failed” to grow the economy as promised. More

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    Watch as Sunak faces Starmer at PMQs after winning Rwanda vote

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Rishi Sunak faces questions from Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 13 December, after winning a crunch vote on the Safety of Rwanda Bill last night.The prime minister spent the day in talks with potential rebels to avoid a defeat on his flagship “stop the boats” pledge.His effort to bring people on side worked, with MPs approving the bill at second reading by 313 votes to 269, giving the government a winning majority of 44.But right-wing Tory factions said they reserved the right to vote against the draft law when it returns to the House of Commons next year if its contents are not strengthened to ensure asylum seekers can be deported to Rwanda before the next election.Dozens abstained but no Tory MP voted against the bill, with former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg among those to back it. More

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    Far-right Dutch election winner Wilders wants to be prime minister, promises to respect constitution

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders, whose party swept to a shock victory in last month’s Dutch general election, said Wednesday he wants to be prime minister for “all Netherlanders,” and pledged that he will ensure his policies adhere to the country’s constitution.Wilders’ comments during a debate in parliament were aimed at easing fears among potential coalition partners about his strident anti-Islam rhetoric and plans including banning mosques, Islamic schools and the Quran.After preliminary talks with party leaders over the last two weeks, Ronald Plasterk, an official appointed by the Dutch parliament to investigate possible ruling coalitions said Monday that Wilders should open negotiations with three other parties on forming a new government.Some potential coalition partners, and in particular Pieter Omtzigt who leads the reformist New Social Contract party that won 20 seats at the Nov. 22 election, have expressed fears that some of Wilders’ election pledges breach the Dutch constitution that enshrines liberties including the freedom of religion.“Sometimes I will have to withdraw proposals and I will do that,” Wilders said. “I will show the Netherlands, the legislature, Mr. Otzigt’s party — anybody who wants to hear it — that we will adapt our rules to the constitution and bring our proposals in line with it.”His words did not convince opposition lawmakers.Frans Timmermans, the former European Union climate czar who now leads a center-left alliance in parliament, told Wilders: “I consider your ideas a threat to the democratic rule of law.”Wilders’ party won 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament election, making it the biggest party and putting the veteran anti-Islam lawmaker in line to lead talks on forming the next ruling coalition.Plasterk, the “scout” who conducted preliminary talks with leaders, said that Wilders should hold coalition talks with New Social Contract, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD, which was led by outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and the Farmer Citizen Movement, or BBB.He also acknowledged concerns about some of Wilders’ policies, saying that the first stage of the coalition talks should be to investigate if the leaders can agree “on a common baseline for guaranteeing the constitution, fundamental rights and the democratic rule of law.”Wilders said Wednesday he wants Plasterk, a former government minister with the center-left Labor Party, to lead the next round of talks. More

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    Michael Gove ‘capitulating’ to nimbys with moves to block new homes, say developers

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailCabinet minister Michael Gove was accused of “capitulating” to nimby Tory MPs and campaigners after a fresh move to let councils reject housebuilding targets.Local authorities will no longer have to earmark greenfield land for housing, under new changes to the planning system said to have been made by Mr Gove’s levelling up department.Mr Gove will allow councils to slash the number of planned homes if development would significantly change the character of an area, according to The Times.And local authorities are reportedly set to be allowed an exemption from sanctioning homes on prime agricultural land, as the government looks to keep Tory MPs in countryside constituencies happy.In unusually fierce criticism, the Home Builders Federation’s spokesman said: “No matter how ministers try to package this, it is a capitulation to a nimby faction of the Conservative party.”The developers’ lobbying group added: “Removing the requirement for local housing needs assessments and allowing councils to build as few homes as they wish will see housebuilding in some areas collapse.“The overriding outcome of these measures will be fewer new homes, worsening housing affordability and a huge loss of investment in jobs.”Levelling up secretary Michael Gove expected to set out changes Labour also condemned the “reckless decision” that would hold back the economy. Shadow planning minister Matthew Pennycook said it would “further deepen the housing crisis and hammer economic growth”.The Labour frontbencher added: “This government’s weakness has seen the collapse in local plan development, with planning consents and housebuilding set to fall off a cliff.”The changes are part of a long-delayed national planning policy framework, after Mr Gove made clear last year that Tory annual house-building targets – a manifesto promise of 300,000 a year – would be dropped.Under the current planning system, councils must earmark land that meets housing requirements for five years. Local authorities can have building forced upon them under a “presumption” in favour of development, if they fail to come up with realistic plans.Government figures said the changes to be set out would let local communities “take back control of housing” from centralised planning, and shift the focus to building on already built-up areas of brownfield land.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he would “bulldoze” local opposition to housing and would stand up to his own MPs if they side with so-called nimbys – those who say “not in my back yard”.Senior Tory MP Theresa Villiers, who has been pushing for watered down targets to protect the green belt, said: “The government has a longstanding commitment to ensure the voice of local communities continues to be heard in relation to what is built in their neighbourhood.”A government source told The Times: “We are reforming the planning system to put local plan-making at its heart. This will allow communities to take back control of housing in their area, while supporting much-needed development in brownfield and inner-city sites.” More

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    Watch as technology minister Michelle Donelan grilled over AI regulation by select committee

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Michelle Donelan is questioned on artificial intelligence (AI) governance by MPs from parliament’s science, innovation and technology committee.The technology secretary will be speaking following a summer report on the 12 challenges of AI that the government must answer and the subsequent international summit which took place at Bletchley Park.Meanwhile, a leading fact-checking group has warned the rise of AI-generated images is eroding public trust in online information.Full Fact said the increase in misleading images circulating online – and being shared by thousands of people – highlights how many struggle to spot such pictures.The organisation has expressed concerns about the adequacy of the new Online Safety Act in combatting harmful misinformation on the internet, including the growing amount of AI-generated content, and called on the government to increase media literacy funding to teach the public to better identify fake content.Ms Donelan will also be questioned on the wider priorities of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, including the government’s stated aim of making the UK a global “science superpower”. More

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    How your MP voted on the Rwanda Bill

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has secured victory in a crunch vote on his flagship Rwanda policy, here is how every MP voted as parliament backed his emergency legislation by 313 votes to 269.MPs approved the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill at second reading with a majority of 44.The division list released immediately after the Commons vote contained 312 names for the ayes. Conservative Sir Robert Syms (Poole) was initially listed as no vote recorded although he wrote on social media platform X to say he in fact voted for the Bill, which would bring the total up to 313.That would mean there were 37 Conservatives MPs who did not record a vote. This does not automatically equate to an abstention, as some MPs will have permission to be away, but in many cases it will be.Conservative MPs who recorded no vote included former home secretary Suella Braverman, former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke, ERG chairman Mark Francois and Miriam Cates and Danny Kruger from the New Conservatives group.MP’s gather in the House of Commons, London, ahead of the second reading vote of the Safety of RwandaHere is a breakdown of the division list showing votes cast:308 Conservative MPs: Bim Afolami (Hitchin and Harpenden)Adam Afriyie (Windsor)Nickie Aiken (Cities of London and Westminster)Peter Aldous (Waveney), Lucy Allan (Telford) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones)Lee Anderson (Ashfield)Stuart Anderson (Wolverhampton South West) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones)Stuart Andrew (Pudsey)Caroline Ansell (Eastbourne)Edward Argar (Charnwood)Sarah Atherton (Wrexham),Victoria Atkins (Louth and Horncastle)Gareth Bacon (Orpington)Richard Bacon (South Norfolk),Kemi Badenoch (Saffron Walden)Shaun Bailey (West Bromwich West)Siobhan Baillie (Stroud)Duncan Baker (North Norfolk)Steve Baker (Wycombe)Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire)Steve Barclay (North East Cambridgeshire)John Baron (Basildon and Billericay) Simon Baynes (Clwyd South) Aaron Bell (Newcastle-under-Lyme) Paul Beresford (Mole Valley),Saqib Bhatti (Meriden)Bob Blackman (Harrow East), Peter Bottomley (Worthing West), Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine), Ben Bradley (Mansfield), Karen Bradley (Staffordshire Moorlands), Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West), Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South), Steve Brine (Winchester), Paul Bristow (Peterborough), Sara Britcliffe (Hyndburn), Anthony Browne (South Cambridgeshire), Fiona Bruce (Congleton), Felicity Buchan (Kensington), Robert Buckland (South Swindon), Alex Burghart (Brentwood and Ongar), Conor Burns (Bournemouth West), Rob Butler (Aylesbury), Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan), Lisa Cameron (East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow), Andy Carter (Warrington South), James Cartlidge (South Suffolk), Maria Caulfield (Lewes), Alex Chalk (Cheltenham), Christopher Chope (Christchurch), Jo Churchill (Bury St Edmunds), Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells), Brendan Clarke-Smith (Bassetlaw), Chris Clarkson (Heywood and Middleton), James Cleverly (Braintree), Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds), Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) Elliot Colburn (Carshalton and Wallington), Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe), Alberto Costa (South Leicestershire), Robert Courts (Witney), Claire Coutinho (East Surrey),Geoffrey Cox (Torridge and West Devon), Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire),Virginia Crosbie (Ynys Môn), Tracey Crouch (Chatham and Aylesford), James Daly (Bury North), David T C Davies (Monmouth), James Davies (Vale of Clwyd), Gareth Davies (Grantham and Stamford), Mims Davies (Mid Sussex), Philip Davies (Shipley), David Davis (Haltemprice and Howden), Dehenna Davison (Bishop Auckland), Caroline Dinenage (Gosport), Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon), Leo Docherty (Aldershot), Michelle Donelan (Chippenham), Steve Double (St Austell and Newquay), Oliver Dowden (Hertsmere), Jackie Doyle-Price (Thurrock), Flick Drummond (Meon Valley), David Duguid (Banff and Buchan), Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green), Philip Dunne (Ludlow), Mark Eastwood (Dewsbury), Ruth Edwards (Rushcliffe), Michael Ellis (Northampton North), George Eustice (Camborne and Redruth), Luke Evans (Bosworth), David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones), Ben Everitt (Milton Keynes North) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones), Michael Fabricant (Lichfield), Laura Farris (Newbury), Simon Fell (Barrow and Furness), Anna Firth (Southend West), Katherine Fletcher (South Ribble), Nick Fletcher (Don Valley), Vicky Ford (Chelmsford), Kevin Foster (Torbay), Liam Fox (North Somerset), Lucy Frazer (South East Cambridgeshire), George Freeman (Mid Norfolk), Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green), Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup), Richard Fuller (North East Bedfordshire), Marcus Fysh (Yeovil), Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest), Nusrat Ghani (Wealden), Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton), Peter Gibson (Darlington), John Glen (Salisbury), Robert Goodwill (Scarborough and Whitby), Michael Gove (Surrey Heath), Richard Graham (Gloucester), Helen Grant (Maidstone and The Weald) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones), James Gray (North Wiltshire), Chris Grayling (Epsom and Ewell), Damian Green (Ashford), Andrew Griffith (Arundel and South Downs), James Grundy (Leigh), Robert Halfon (Harlow), Luke Hall (Thornbury and Yate), Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon)Greg Hands (Chelsea and Fulham)Mark Harper (Forest of Dean)Rebecca Harris (Castle Point)Trudy Harrison (Copeland), Sally-Ann Hart (Hastings and Rye), Simon Hart (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire), Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire), James Heappey (Wells), Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry), Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey), Darren Henry (Broxtowe),Antony Higginbotham (Burnley)Damian Hinds (East Hampshire)Simon Hoare (North Dorset)Richard Holden (North West Durham)Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk and Malton)Philip Hollobone (Kettering)Paul Holmes (Eastleigh)John Howell (Henley) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones), Paul Howell (Sedgefield), Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire), Neil Hudson (Penrith and The Border), Eddie Hughes (Walsall North), Jane Hunt (Loughborough) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones), Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey), Alister Jack (Dumfries and Galloway), Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove), Ranil Jayawardena (North East Hampshire), Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex), Mark Jenkinson (Workington), Gareth Johnson (Dartford), David Johnston (Wantage), Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough), Fay Jones (Brecon and Radnorshire)Marcus Jones (Nuneaton),Simon Jupp (East Devon), Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham), Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Melton), Gillian Keegan (Chichester), Greg Knight (East Yorkshire), Kate Kniveton (Burton), Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne), John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk), Robert Largan (High Peak), Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire), Andrea Leadsom (South Northamptonshire)Edward Leigh (Gainsborough)Ian Levy (Blyth Valley)Andrew Lewer (Northampton South)Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth) Julian Lewis (New Forest East)Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater and West Somerset)Chris Loder (West Dorset)Mark Logan (Bolton North East), Julia Lopez (Hornchurch and Upminster), Jack Lopresti (Filton and Bradley Stoke), Jonathan Lord (Woking), Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham), Cherilyn Mackrory (Truro and Falmouth), Rachel Maclean (Redditch), Alan Mak (Havant) Kit Malthouse (North West Hampshire)Anthony Mangnall (Totnes), Scott Mann (North Cornwall)Theresa May (Maidenhead) Jerome Mayhew (Broadland)Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys)Jason McCartney (Colne Valley)Karl McCartney (Lincoln)Esther McVey (Tatton)Mark Menzies (Fylde)Johnny Mercer (Plymouth, Moor View)Huw Merriman (Bexhill and Battle)Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock)Maria Miller (Basingstoke), Amanda Milling (Cannock Chase)Nigel Mills (Amber Valley),Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield)Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire), Damien Moore (Southport), Robbie Moore (Keighley), Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North), Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot), David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale), James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis), Joy Morrissey (Beaconsfield), Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills), Kieran Mullan (Crewe and Nantwich) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones), Holly Mumby-Croft (Scunthorpe), David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale), Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall)Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire)Robert Neill (Bromley and Chislehurst), Lia Nici (Great Grimsby) Neil O’Brien (Harborough), Matthew Offord (Hendon), Guy Opperman (Hexham), Priti Patel (Witham), Mark Pawsey (Rugby), Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead), John Penrose (Weston-super-Mare), Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole), Chris Philp (Croydon South), Rebecca Pow (Taunton Deane), Victoria Prentis (Banbury), Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin), Tom Pursglove (Corby), Jeremy Quin (Horsham) Will Quince (Colchester), Dominic Raab (Esher and Walton), Tom Randall (Gedling), Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset), Nicola Richards (West Bromwich East), Angela Richardson (Guildford), Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury), Mary Robinson (Cheadle), Douglas Ross (Moray), Lee Rowley (North East Derbyshire), Dean Russell (Watford), David Rutley (Macclesfield), Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield), Selaine Saxby (North Devon), Paul Scully (Sutton and Cheam), Bob Seely (Isle of Wight) Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield), Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet and Rothwell), David Simmonds (Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)Chloe Smith (Norwich North), Greg Smith (Buckingham) Henry Smith (Crawley),Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon),Royston Smith (Southampton, Itchen), Ben Spencer (Runnymede and Weybridge), Mark Spencer (Sherwood), Alexander Stafford (Rother Valley), Andrew Stephenson (Pendle), Jane Stevenson (Wolverhampton North East), John Stevenson (Carlisle), Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South), Gary Streeter (South West Devon),Mel Stride (Central Devon) Graham Stuart (Beverley and Holderness) Julian Sturdy (York Outer), Rishi Sunak (Richmond (Yorks)James Sunderland (Bracknell) Desmond Swayne (New Forest West), Robert Syms (Poole) Derek Thomas (St Ives)Maggie Throup (Erewash)Edward Timpson (Eddisbury) Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester and Strood), Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon), Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole), Craig Tracey (North Warwickshire), Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Berwick-upon-Tweed), Laura Trott (Sevenoaks), Elizabeth Truss (South West Norfolk), Steve Tuckwell (Uxbridge and South Ruislip)Tom Tugendhat (Tonbridge and Malling)Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire), Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes), Matt Vickers (Stockton South) Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet)Robin Walker (Worcester), Charles Walker (Broxbourne)Ben Wallace (Wyre and Preston North)Jamie Wallis (Bridgend)Matt Warman (Boston and Skegness) Giles Watling (Clacton) Suzanne Webb (Stourbridge) Helen Whately (Faversham and Mid Kent)Heather Wheeler (South Derbyshire)Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley), John Whittingdale (Maldon) Bill Wiggin (North Herefordshire), James Wild (North West Norfolk), Craig Williams (Montgomeryshire), Gavin Williamson (South Staffordshire), Mike Wood (Dudley South), William Wragg (Hazel Grove), Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth and Southam), Jacob Young (Redcar)Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Proxy vote cast by Marcus Jones).Five Independent MPs: Scott Benton (Blackpool South)Peter Bone (Wellingborough)Matt Hancock (West Suffolk)Rob Roberts (Delyn)Bob Stewart (Beckenham).Tellers for the ayes were Conservative MPs Mark Fletcher (Bolsover) and Amanda Solloway (Derby North)Noes 187 Labour MPs: Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth)Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow)Tahir Ali (Birmingham, Hall Green)Rosena Allin-Khan (Tooting)Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale)Fleur Anderson (Putney)Jonathan Ashworth (Leicester South)Paula Barker (Liverpool, Wavertree)Margaret Beckett (Derby South)Apsana Begum (Poplar and Limehouse)Hilary Benn (Leeds Central)Clive Betts (Sheffield South East)Olivia Blake (Sheffield, Hallam)Ben Bradshaw (Exeter Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West)Lyn Brown (West Ham)Chris Bryant (Rhondda)Karen Buck (Westminster North)Richard Burgon (Leeds East)Dawn Butler (Brent Central) (Proxy vote cast by Florence Eshalomi)Ian Byrne (Liverpool, West Derby) Liam Byrne (Birmingham, Hodge Hill), Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth), Alan Campbell (Tynemouth), Dan Carden (Liverpool, Walton), Sarah Champion (Rotherham), Feryal Clark (Enfield North), Yvette Cooper (Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford), Neil Coyle (Bermondsey and Old Southwark), Stella Creasy (Walthamstow)John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead), Judith Cummins (Bradford South)Alex Cunningham (Stockton North)Janet Daby (Lewisham East) Ashley Dalton (West Lancashire)Wayne David (Caerphilly)Alex Davies-Jones (Pontypridd)Marsha De Cordova (Battersea)Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West)Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough)Samantha Dixon (City of Chester)Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South and Penarth)Peter Dowd (Bootle), Rosie Duffield (Canterbury)Angela Eagle (Wallasey)Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood)Sarah Edwards (Tamworth),Clive Efford (Eltham)Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central)Chris Elmore (Ogmore)Florence Eshalomi (Vauxhall)Bill Esterson (Sefton Central)Chris Evans (Islwyn)Yvonne Fovargue (Makerfield)Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford)Gill Furniss (Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)Barry Gardiner (Brent North)Preet Kaur Gill (Birmingham, Edgbaston)Mary Glindon (North Tyneside)Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South)Margaret Greenwood (Wirral West), Nia Griffith (Llanelli)Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) Louise Haigh (Sheffield, Heeley)Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East)Paulette Hamilton (Birmingham, Erdington)Emma Hardy (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)Harriet Harman (Camberwell and Peckham)Carolyn Harris (Swansea East)Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood)John Healey (Wentworth and Dearne)Mark Hendrick (Preston)Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch)Margaret Hodge (Barking Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West)Kate Hollern (Blackburn)Rachel Hopkins (Luton South) George Howarth (Knowsley)Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton)Imran Hussain (Bradford East)Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central)Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North)Kim Johnson (Liverpool, Riverside)Darren Jones (Bristol North West)Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)Kevan Jones (North Durham)Ruth Jones (Newport West)Sarah Jones (Croydon Central)Mike Kane (Wythenshawe and Sale East)Barbara Keeley (Worsley and Eccles South)Liz Kendall (Leicester West)Afzal Khan (Manchester, Gorton)Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon)Peter Kyle (Hove)David Lammy (Tottenham)Ian Lavery (Wansbeck)Kim Leadbeater (Batley and Spen)Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields)Clive Lewis (Norwich South)Simon Lightwood (Wakefield)Tony Lloyd (Rochdale)Rebecca Long Bailey (Salford and Eccles)Holly Lynch (Halifax)Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston)Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr)Seema Malhotra (Feltham and Heston) Rachael Maskell (York Central)Keir Mather (Selby and Ainsty)Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak)Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East)Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden)John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington)Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East)Alison McGovern (Wirral South)Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North)Jim McMahon (Oldham West and Royton)Anna McMorrin (Cardiff North)Ian Mearns (Gateshead)Edward Miliband (Doncaster North)Navendu Mishra (Stockport)Jessica Morden (Newport East)Stephen Morgan (Portsmouth South)Grahame Morris (Easington)Ian Murray (Edinburgh South)James Murray (Ealing North)Charlotte Nichols (Warrington North)Alex Norris (Nottingham North)Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central)Abena Oppong-Asare (Erith and Thamesmead) Kate Osamor (Edmonton)Kate Osborne (Jarrow)Taiwo Owatemi (Coventry North West) (Proxy vote cast by Chris Elmore)Sarah Owen (Luton North)Stephanie Peacock (Barnsley East)Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich and Woolwich)Toby Perkins (Chesterfield)Jess Phillips (Birmingham, Yardley)Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South)Luke Pollard (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)Lucy Powell (Manchester Central)Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East)Angela Rayner (Ashton-under-Lyne)Steve Reed (Croydon North)Ellie Reeves (Lewisham West and Penge)Rachel Reeves (Leeds West)Jonathan Reynolds (Stalybridge and Hyde)Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Streatham)Marie Rimmer (St Helens South and Whiston)Matt Rodda (Reading East), Lloyd Russell-Moyle(Brighton, Kemptown)Naz Shah (Bradford West)Michael Shanks (Rutherglen and Hamilton West)Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall)Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield)Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn)Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith)Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood)Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent)Alex Sobel (Leeds North West)John Spellar (Warley)Keir Starmer (Holborn and St Pancras)Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central)Alistair Strathern (Mid Bedfordshire)Wes Streeting (Ilford North)Graham Stringer (Blackley and Broughton)Zarah Sultana (Coventry South)Mark Tami (Alyn and Deeside)Sam Tarry (Ilford South)Gareth Thomas (Harrow West), Nick Thomas-Symonds (Torfaen)Emily Thornberry (Islington South and Finsbury)Stephen Timms (East Ham)Jon Trickett (Hemsworth)Karl Turner (Kingston upon Hull East)Derek Twigg (Halton)Liz Twist (Blaydon)Valerie Vaz (Walsall South)Christian Wakeford (Bury South)Catherine West (Hornsey and Wood Green)Andrew Western (Stretford and Urmston)Matt Western (Warwick and Leamington), Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test)Mick Whitley (Birkenhead)Nadia Whittome (Nottingham East)Beth Winter (Cynon Valley), Mohammad Yasin (Bedford)Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge).42 Scottish National Party MPs: Hannah Bardell (Livingston)Mhairi Black (Paisley and Renfrewshire South)Ian Blackford (Ross, Skye and Lochaber)Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North)Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith)Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun)Amy Callaghan (East Dunbartonshire) (Proxy vote cast by Marion Fellows), Douglas Chapman (Dunfermline and West Fife)Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West)Ronnie Cowan (Inverclyde)Angela Crawley (Lanark and Hamilton East) (Proxy vote cast by Owen Thompson)Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk)Martin Docherty-Hughes (West Dunbartonshire)Dave Doogan (Angus)Allan Dorans (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (Proxy vote cast by Marion Fellows)Marion Fellows (Motherwell and Wishaw) Stephen Flynn (Aberdeen South)Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran)Patrick Grady (Glasgow North)Peter Grant (Glenrothes)Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)Stewart Hosie (Dundee East)Chris Law (Dundee West)David Linden (Glasgow East)Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Glasgow South)Stuart C McDonald (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East), Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow North East), John McNally (Falkirk), Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West), Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North),John Nicolson (Ochil and South Perthshire) (Proxy vote cast by Marion Fellows) Brendan O’Hara (Argyll and Bute), Kirsten Oswald (East Renfrewshire), Anum Qaisar (Airdrie and Shotts), Tommy Sheppard (Edinburgh East), Alyn Smith (Stirling), Chris Stephens (Glasgow South West), Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central), Owen Thompson (Midlothian), Richard Thomson (Gordon), Philippa Whitford (Central Ayrshire) (Proxy vote cast by Marion Fellows), Pete Wishart (Perth and North Perthshire).15 Liberal Democrat MPs: Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland), Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife), Daisy Cooper (St Albans), Ed Davey (Kingston and Surbiton), Sarah Dyke (Somerton and Frome), Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale), Richard Foord (Tiverton and Honiton), Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham), Wera Hobhouse (Bath), Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West), Layla Moran (Oxford West and Abingdon), Helen Morgan (North Shropshire), Sarah Olney (Richmond Park), Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross), Munira Wilson (Twickenham).Eight Democratic Unionist Party MPs: Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry), Jeffrey M Donaldson (Lagan Valley), Paul Girvan (South Antrim)Carla Lockhart (Upper Bann), Ian Paisley (North Antrim), Gavin Robinson (Belfast East), Jim Shannon (Strangford), Sammy Wilson (East Antrim).Three Plaid Cymru MPs: Ben Lake (Ceredigion)Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd)Hywel Williams (Arfon)Two SDLP MPs: Colum Eastwood (Foyle)Claire Hanna (Belfast South)One Alliance MP: Stephen Farry (North Down)One Green Party MP: Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion.One Alba Party MP: Kenny MacAskill (East Lothian)Nine Independent MPs:Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington)Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East)Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North)Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)Angus Brendan MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar)Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough)Conor McGinn (St Helens North)Christina Rees (Neath)Claudia Webbe (Leicester East)Tellers for the ayes were Labour MPs: Colleen Fletcher (Coventry North East) and Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington). 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    Rishi Sunak wins Rwanda vote as he staves off mass Tory rebellion – for now

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA wounded Rishi Sunak has secured victory in a crunch vote on his flagship Rwanda policy – but his political future remains under threat ahead of a new year showdown on the issue. The prime minister faces another battle with his MPs within weeks after parliament backed his emergency legislation by 313 votes to 269. As he fought to keep his controversial deportation scheme alive, Mr Sunak even flew a minister back from the Cop28 climate change conference in Dubai to vote.But he now faces a 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. In another extraordinary day at Westminster: • Mr Sunak tried to woo rebels over bacon sarnies in No 10• Home secretary James Cleverly said the new legislation was “very much pushing at the edge of the envelope” of international law• Behind closed doors, the prime minister promised Tory MPs he was willing to “tighten” the legislation, those who attended a breakfast summit said• Rebels expressed frustration at the lack of a clear commitment to amend the bill• Former Tory leader Lord Hague urged his party to “pull themselves together” before the vote, warning there was “no guarantee” it would ever return to government if it loses the next general electionIn a moment of high drama just minutes before the vote, five groups of Tory MPs on the right of the party announced they would not support the bill.However, they announced they would mainly abstain at this stage and try to amend the bill. But they put the prime minister on notice that they could vote to kill the plan if it is not hardened enough. Speaking on behalf of the group, Mark Francois, the chair of the European Research Group (ERG), said: “We reserve the right to vote against it at third reading, that is collectively what we have decided.”In response, Mr Sunak said: “The British people should decide who gets to come to this country – not criminal gangs or foreign courts. That’s what this bill delivers”. In a move that risks riling the rebels, Mr Cleverly tweeted after the vote: “Parliament has spoken.”Former party leader Iain Duncan Smith said he had backed the government but indicated he reserved the right to vote against the plan at its third reading.Asked if he could pull his support, he told Sky News: “I want to see the government listen and engage … so we’ll see where it goes.”Lists released by parliament suggested that no Tory MP voted against the bill. But high-profile names were among 38 Tory abstentions including former home secretary Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister who quit in protest at the plan last week. Before the vote, Labour had said that defeat, the first time a government would have lost on the second reading of a bill since the mid-1980s, should lead to a general election. Just 57 Tory MPs abstaining, or 29 voting against, the bill would have been enough to defeat the government. But Mr Sunak now faces an uphill battle to get his legislation through its next Commons stage. MPs traditionally allow bills to pass at second reading to allow them to be amended or improved, before casting their final judgement at the third reading of the bill. Even before the latest vote, Tory MPs warned they could sink the legislation. Former minister David Jones, deputy chairman of the ERG, said: “We believe we have the numbers, if necessary, to stop the bill progressing.” To add to his woes, Mr Sunak is now under pressure from two warring sides of his party. MPs on the right are threatening to vote against the bill if he does not amend it, while those on the more moderate wing threatening to pull their support if he does. Prime minister Rishi Sunak has called on MPs to back the plansSir Bob Neill, the Tory MP and chairman of the Commons justice committee, said his support “would go” if that happened “because for me it goes as close to the wind as one can constitutionally do”. To go any further would be “unconservative, and then I would not support it”, he added. One former cabinet minister who supported Mr Sunak’s leadership campaign warned that “it is hard to see how these issues [between the warring factions] get resolved” before the next crucial Commons vote. Asked how it would end for his party leader, he added: “Badly.”Amid the infighting, another Tory grandee, Sir Edward Leigh, warned Tory MPs: “A house divided is a house that is going to be destroyed.” And a former minister, Jackie Doyle-Price, accused her party of “stupid” rows that would benefit only the Labour Party. Mr Sunak spent all day trying to head off a major Commons rebellion over his plan. He pleaded with Tory MPs to back the bill and tried to woo rebels over bacon sarnies at a breakfast meeting in Downing Street, as well as during one-to-one meetings. In a social media post, Mr Sunak publicly appealed to his MPs to support him, saying: “To stop the boats, we need to back this bill.”As he tried to persuade MPs in the Commons, Mr Cleverly said: “The actions that we are taking, whilst novel, whilst very much pushing at the edge of the envelope, are within the framework of international law.”‘Novel actions’: home secretary James Cleverly Mr Sunak was forced to bring forward the emergency legislation after the UK Supreme Court ruled his plans unlawful. The prime minister has pinned his hopes on a new treaty with Rwanda, which is designed to guarantee refugees are not wrongly sent back to countries they have fled, and the new legislation. But he suffered a shock blow last week when the immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who would have taken the bill through parliament, resigned, warning it did not go far enough and would not work. Others on the Tory right have also called for it to go further and override the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), to ensure it cannot be blocked by judges in Strasbourg. Jonathan Gullis, a member of the New Conservatives grouping who attended the breakfast summit, said he had “grave concerns” the legislation would mean “we will end up being bogged down with individual claims that mean that we’ll see very few people put on the plane to Rwanda”.One MP who attended the breakfast expressed frustration at the prime minister’s approach, saying: “I would love to know what he means by ‘tightening’ the bill.”Earlier, Downing Street had rejected calls to pull the bill from Tory rebels, who warned it “needs major surgery or replacement”.Delaying the vote would have raised uncomfortable parallels with ousted former Tory leader Theresa May who pulled her “meaningful vote” Brexit legislation as she struggled to get it through the Commons. Before the vote, Mr Jenrick was understood to be planning to vote against the legislation unless the government committed to amending it. He pushed for the ability to overrule European Court of Human Rights injunctions in a speech to the Commons, telling MPs: “This bill could be so much better. Let’s make it better.”A No 10 source said the government would “continue to listen to and engage with colleagues across the party” on the bill as it goes through parliament. Former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke warned Rishi Sunak that the bill risked the government failing to “deliver on our promise to stop the boats” for a third time. The bill allows ministers to disapply the Human Rights Act but does not go as far as overriding the ECHR, a key demand from hardliners. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer dismissed the Rwanda plan as a “gimmick” and piece of political “performance art” and accused the Conservative Party of behaving more like Donald Trump than Winston Churchill in its obsession over the scheme. More

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    Is it time the Rwanda scheme was scrapped? Join the Independent Debate

    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