UK

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s allies believe the Covid inquiry has already decided his Eat Out to Help Out scheme was harmful, it is claimed.The prime minister, who was chancellor during the pandemic, will be grilled over the hospitality scheme from 10.30am by the probe’s lead counsel Hugo Keith KC.Mr Sunak will also face questions over whether he opposed measures to contain the virus and his failure to hand over WhatsApp messages from his time as chancellor to the inquiry.Allies of the former chancellor argue the probe has already decided the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which offered taxpayer-funded half-priced meals in a bid to boost the hospitality sector, fuelled the virus.The scheme initially saw Mr Sunak, having been widely praised for the furlough scheme, dubbed “dishy Rishi”. But it has been criticised by chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, who called it “Eat Out to Help Out…the virus”.And it contributed to Mr Sunak being described by chief scientific advisor Professor Dame Angela McLean as “Dr Death the chancellor”. Britain’s two top scientists during Covid Professor Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance have both told the probe they were not consulted about the scheme before it was launched.A Treasury insider who worked with Mr Sunak during the pandemic told The Daily Telegraph the scheme was beneficial, and said “hindsight is a wonderful thing”. “By summer 2020, hospitality was in a pretty dire state. We’d already helped considerably and [Eat Out to Help Out] was an attempt in the summer months when risks were less to support that sector and maximise economic activity,” they said.As Mr Sunak faces a grilling by Mr Keith, just miles away in Westminster his MPs will be deciding whether to back his latest plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda ahead of a vote on Tuesday which could decide the future of his premiership. It comes as a poll revealed twice as many people now think Mr Sunak handled the pandemic badly than well.Ahead of his highly anticipated evidence session, the YouGov survey found 56 per cent of people said he handled the pandemic “badly”, while just 29 per cent said he did “well”.Meanwhile more than half of people said Eat Out to Help Out was a “bad idea”, with just under a third saying it was a good idea. The poll, conducted for The Times, did however show strong support for Mr Sunak’s financial support schemes, such as the furlough programme which funded companies to keep paying staff while they could not work during the pandemic.Mr Sunak is expected to mount a robust defence of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and his wider response to the pandemic when he takes the stand this morning.But he is bracing for a backlash, with one source telling The Times: “He’s going to get absolutely slaughtered over his failure to provide WhatsApps.”He has told the probe that having changed his phone multiple times since entering government he did not have access to the relevant messages. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailMedia mogul Jimmy Lai’s son has urged David Cameron to demand the release of his father ahead of a high-profile trial set to begin mid-December in Hong Kong.Lai’s loved ones fear he will die in prison after the 76-year-old was arrested in Hong Kong under the China-imposed draconian National Security Law in 2020 following the pro-democracy movement.The fierce Beijing critic and founder of the now-defunct “pro-democracy” Apple Daily newspaper was arrested in August 2020 for allegedly colluding with foreign forces.His son, Sebastien Lai, has called on Lord Cameron to “stand by my father’s side” and demand his release, which would send a “clear message” to China.“I have no doubt that Lord Cameron will do right by his country and its citizens,” he told The Observer.Mr Lai said he had managed to secure a meeting with the British foreign secretary this week to discuss his father’s imprisonment.While Washington has criticised a previous conviction of Lai on fraud charges, the European parliament has publicly called for the activists’s release.“This is a man who is obviously strong, but nothing can be taken for granted at his age. I can only imagine what it is like being in solitary confinement for more than 1,000 days,” Mr Lai said.Mr Lai has been an advocate on behalf of his father ahead of his trial, which is due to begin on 18 December. His father’s UK legal team has been denied access to Lai and subjected to cyberattacks.He said he had been asking to meet the British foreign secretary since July 2022 and Lord Cameron was the third secretary to receive the request. “I have met foreign ministers from other countries, but I have yet to meet with one from the UK,” Mr Lai said.Lai’s son and other campaigners have previously urged the government to be “frank and open” about its discussions with China after former foreign secretary James Cleverly in August tweeted that he had challenged China on Lai’s case.“Far from damaging the relationship, calling for my father’s release would be a vital step in repairing it,” Lai had then told The Independent.“It is disappointing that our own government has so far failed to do the same and won’t be open and frank about its discussions with China on his case,” he added.A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson told The Observer: “British national Jimmy Lai’s case is a priority for HMG [His Majesty’s Government], which has been raised on multiple occasions with the Chinese government, most recently when the foreign secretary spoke to Wang Yi this week.”“Mr Lai’s prosecution has been highly politicised – he and others are being deliberately targeted to silence criticism under the guise of national security,” the spokesperson added. More

Robert Jenrick resigns as immigration minister over Rwanda bill in huge blow to Rishi SunakSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSenior Conservatives have urged their fellow Tory MPs to stop plotting against Rishi Sunak and back his Rwanda plan in a Commons vote next week which could deal a major blow to his premiership.With the crucial vote hanging on a margin of 28 ballots, dozens of hardline Tories could be swayed by a so-called “star chamber” of lawyers, who gave their damning verdict on Sunday that Mr Sunak’s last-ditch legislation to get planes to Rwanda – following his Supreme Court defeat – is “not fit for purpose”.Ex-Brexit minister David Davis accused Tory colleagues of exacerbating the crisis to boost their own leadership profiles, warning that those “who trade off their own future against the future of the party always lose”, while Iain Duncan Smith urged his party to “stop shouting and just literally discuss these things in a reasonable way”.Some Tory MPs – described as “mad or malicious or both” by moderate Damian Green – were even reported to be planning an “Advent calendar of s***” for Mr Sunak and plotting the return of Boris Johnson on a “dream ticket” leadership bid with Nigel Farage.Show latest update
1702218734Michael Gove defends ‘salty’ Tory memeMichael Gove has defended a “salty” social media post from his party that attacks Labour with an image of a BBC News presenter unwittingly giving the middle finger during a broadcast – which has been criticised by senior Tories Alicia Kearns and Tobias Ellwood.Asked on Sky News about the post, housing secretary Mr Gove said: “It’s certainly a salty intervention in public debate.“But I think the important thing to bear in mind is that our political conversation takes place in a variety of different ways, on different platforms, and it’s important both to engage people where they are but also, a very powerful point is made is that Labour have nothing to say on the question of illegal migration.“I think that anyone who has ever looked at my social media will see that I am no social media ninja.“My social media is herbivorous, to put it mildly – but on social media you have a lively debate and that is a powerful contribution to a very lively debate.”Andy Gregory10 December 2023 14:321702217714Right-wing Tories to meet on Monday to hear Rwanda ‘star chamber’ findingsConservatives on the right of the party will meet on Monday afternoon to discuss a legal examination of Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda legislation.Mark Francois, chairman for the European Research Group, said: “The ERG will be meeting tomorrow, from noon onwards, to hear a presentation from Sir Bill Cash on the findings of his ‘star chamber’ of legal experts, following their forensic examination of the Rwanda Bill.“Under the circumstances, we are also extending an invitation to members of other backbench groups within the Conservative family, including the New Conservatives; the Common Sense Group; the Conservative Growth Group and the Northern Research Group.“We then aim to have a collective discussion about our best approach to the Second Reading of the Bill, on Tuesday.”Andy Gregory10 December 2023 14:151702216574Michelle Mone hits out at government over PPE controversyTory peer Michelle Mone has accused the government of using her as a scapegoat for its own Covid failings, as she conceded making an “error” in publicly denying her links to the PPE Medpro firm being investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA).Lady Mone told The Telegraph she is “ashamed of being a Conservative peer given what this government has done to us”, as the Ultimo bra tycoon launched a public defence on Sunday over the controversy surrounding “VIP lane” contracts during the pandemic.PPE Medpro was awarded government contracts worth more than £200m to supply personal protective equipment after she recommended it to ministers. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has since issued breach of contract proceedings over the 2020 deal on the supply of gowns.Lady Mone told a YouTube documentary that she and her husband Doug Barrowman would be cleared, arguing they have “done nothing wrong”, but said: “I made an error in what I said to the press. I regret not saying to the press straight away, ‘Yes, I am involved.’ And the government knew I was involved.”She claimed it is “100 per cent a lie” to suggest she was not transparent with officials, and the pair claimed a “DHSC negotiator” suggested the case could “go away” for the right sum.Andy Gregory10 December 2023 13:561702215434Labour’s Wes Streeting claims ‘wasteful’ NHS using winter crises as excuse for cashLabour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has accused the “wasteful” NHS of using repeated winter crises as “an excuse to ask for more money”.The key figure in Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet said the public needed “to hear the truth about the NHS” – promising a “tough love” approach to running the health service.Mr Streeting vowed to “shake the NHS and the public out of complacency” over Britain’s healthcare, as he pledged to bring back a family doctor system as part of Labour’s wide-ranging reforms.“I think people working in the NHS and the patients using the NHS can see examples of waste and inefficiency,” he told The Sunday Times on a visit to Singapore.And in an outspoken attack on health service bosses, Mr Streeting added: “I don’t think it’s good enough that the NHS uses every winter crisis and every challenge it faces as an excuse to ask for more money.”Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent10 December 2023 13:371702214375Stop ‘mad’ plotting against Sunak and back Rwanda plan, Tory rebels warnedSenior Conservatives have urged their fellow Tory MPs to stop plotting against Rishi Sunak and back his Rwanda plan in next week’s crucial Commons vote.Ex-Brexit minister David Davis accused Mr Sunak’s rivals of exacerbating the crisis to boost their own leadership profiles, telling Sky News: “I’m not going to name them [the MPs]. All of my colleagues know who they are – and it will be to their long-term disadvantage.“I’ve seen this before. People who trade off their own future against the future of the party always lose.”In a similar appeal for calm, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith urged his party on GB News to “stop shouting and just literally discuss these things in a reasonable way”.And with some Tory MPs even reported to be planning an “Advent calendar of s***” for Mr Sunak and plotting the return of Boris Johnson on a “dream ticket” leadership bid with Nigel Farage, moderate Damian Green said: “Anyone who thinks that what the Conservative party or the country needs is a change of prime minister is either mad or malicious or both.”“It is a very, very small number doing that [plotting to oust Mr Sunak] – a vanishing small number,” he told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show.Andy Gregory10 December 2023 13:191702212734‘Five families’ of Tory MPs will discuss bill on MondaySenior right-winger Sir Bill Cash will present the “star chamber” findings on the Rwanda bill to MPs in five different backbench groups at lunchtime on Monday.Brexiteer Mark Francois, the European Research Group chairman, said a presentation on the “forensic examination” of Rishi Sunak’s bill would be heard at noon.He said an invitation had been extended to MPs in the New Conservatives group run by Danny Kruger and Miriam Cates, the Common Sense Group run by Suella Braverman ally Johns Hayes, the Conservative Growth Group made up of Liz Truss allies, and the Northern Research Group of red-wall MPs.“We then aim to have a collective discussion about our best approach to the second reading of the Bill, on Tuesday,” said Mr Francois.Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent10 December 2023 12:521702211985Tories could see worst general election result in history with just 130 seats, says John CurticeRishi Sunak’s Conservatives are facing their worst ever result at the general election and could be left with just 130 seats, according to Professor Sir John Curtice.The country’s top polling guru warned of the bleak situation faced by the Tories as they head into winter with the news dominated by in-fighting over the PM’s Rwanda deportation plan.Prof Curtice said Mr Sunak’s party would be “lucky to win [many] more than 200 seats” and could see an even worse result if its dire poll ratings continued.“If these patterns were to be replicated in a general election, the outcome for the Conservatives could be bleak indeed – maybe as few as 130 seats, the worst outcome in the party’s history,” he wrote for the Sunday Telegraph.The outcome would be even worse than the 165 seats the Tories were left with in 1997, when the party, then led by John Major, was thumped by Tony Blair’s Labour – who won a landslide 179-seat majority.Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent10 December 2023 12:391702209314Braverman suggest Sunak is lying about Rwanda’s concerns over billSacked home secretary Suella Braverman has piled even more pressure on Rishi Sunak – attacking his “rather strange” claim that a tougher bill would have caused the deal with Rwanda to collapse.Suggesting the PM was not telling the truth, she told the Sunday Telegraph: “I’ve been to Rwanda several times and I have spoken to the Rwandan government a lot. It never once raised any kind of concerns like this.”Ms Braverman said the bill “not fit for purpose” because of the “gaping holes” she believes it leaves open for legal challenges.Backing Robert Jenrick’s claim that the bill leaves open legal challenges by individual asylum seekers, Ms Braverman said: “There will be individual claims brought by every person who is put on the first flight to Rwanda.”She also claimed the bill it leaves the government open to injunctions by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which helped block last year’s planned Rwanda flight. “As it stands Rule 39 [injunctions] will block flights,” Ms Braverman said.Adam Forrest10 December 2023 11:551702208507Iain Duncan Smith wants ‘jungle’ of Tory infighting to stopSir Iain Duncan Smith has appealed to MPs to end their in-fighting over the Rwanda bill and discuss the issue “in a reasonable way”.The former Tory leader suggested that he wanted to support Rishi Sunak’s plan – but said he would wait to hear the legal verdict of the “star chamber” convened by the Tory right.He said on GB News: “The truth is, we do a lot of shouting at the moment and I wish we’d stop shouting and just literally discuss these things in a reasonable way.“I’ve been in the jungle now for 32 years, it’s called parliament. And frankly, that is worse than any insect bites you can possibly get.”“So there’s good stuff in [the bill] and it’s a good attempt to do this. The question is whether on the margins that brings the exact results or unexpected consequences and so I’ve held my own counsel. I want to see what the final report of these lawyers.”Asked if he thought flights to Rwanda would take off before the next general election, he said: “I think we have to. I think it is wholly feasible.”Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent10 December 2023 11:411702207754Rwanda president Kagame is ‘like Putin of Africa’, says Bill BrowderThe president of Rwanda “is like the Putin of Africa”, anti-corruption campaigner Bill Browder has said.The head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign told the BBC: “Everyone’s ignoring the elephant in the room which is Rwanda. So, the president of Rwanda Paul Kagame is like the Putin of Africa.”Mr Browder used the example of Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager hero on whom the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda was based, who in 2021 was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Rwanda on terrorism charges. He was released after serving two years and returned to the US, where he now lives.Mr Browder added: “The idea that we’re going to be sending political refugees to a country that’s like that is just absurd. The whole thing should be torn up and thrown out.”Andy Gregory10 December 2023 11:29 More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has accused the “wasteful” NHS of using repeated winter crises as “an excuse to ask for more money”.The key figure in Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet said the public needed “to hear the truth about the NHS” – promising a “tough love” approach to running the health service.Mr Streeting vowed to “shake the NHS and the public out of complacency” over Britain’s healthcare, as he pledged to bring back a family doctor system as part of Labour’s wide-ranging reforms.“I think people working in the NHS and the patients using the NHS can see examples of waste and inefficiency,” he told The Sunday Times on a visit to Singapore.And in an outspoken attack on health service bosses, Mr Streeting added: “I don’t think it’s good enough that the NHS uses every winter crisis and every challenge it faces as an excuse to ask for more money.”The frontbencher said the NHS is “not the envy of the world, it is not delivering the quality of care that any of us want, and unless it changes, it’s not going to survive”.Leading NHS campaigner Dr Rachel Clarke fired back at Mr Streeting – accusing him of “quite openly and deliberately undermining public trust in the NHS”.Labour’s Wes Streeting accused NHS of ‘waste and inefficiency’ She said the senior Labour MP’s claim that the health service “used” crises to ask for cash was “the most massive kick in the guts” for NHS staff – and added that he was using the problems as a “political football”.Dr Clarke tweeted: “Do you have any idea how hellish it is to work in an NHS A&E over winter? How much staff give in those horrific conditions? How dare you insinuate they’re somehow ‘using’ those conditions for their own ends? Show some respect, please.”Mr Streeting insisted that NHS bosses were “going to have to get used to the fact that money is tight” even if Labour wins power next year, and would have to “get used to switching spend, and rethinking where and how care is delivered”.He said he would give managers “freedom to innovate and create as long as they deliver”, adding: “That’s the tough love that people can look forward to if I become the health and social care secretary.”Visiting Singapore General Hospital, Mr Streeting said he was impressed by a system he said was “designed around patients”. He said Labour would bring back a family doctor system as part of key changes.“The irony is that in Singapore, we have a government that is seeking to move towards a family doctor relationship. In the UK, we’ve got a Conservative government that’s moved our country away from it because we don’t have enough GPs,” he claimed.Mr Streeting added: “The NHS is perfectly capable of arranging appointments in a way that maximises the convenience of patients – it just often chooses not to, or the system isn’t wired to think about that.”The shadow health secretary said NHS patients should get more power to swap GPs using the NHS app.And Mr Streeting said he wanted to see something like Singapore’s health app – which lets patients link up hospital and GP services as well as accessing their medical records. “I am really interested in exploring this approach,” Mr Streeting said.The Labour frontbencher also suggested he would be “happy” to listen to GPs about dropping some of the government’s targets in a bid to free up their time.“If you’re measuring 55 things, you’re really not measuring anything at all … let’s get rid of the stupid stuff that is holding the system back,” he said.Sir Keir has previously said that inefficiencies in the NHS created a “mind-boggling waste of time” and that he wanted to allow patients to be able to bypass GPs and refer themselves to specialists.But the British Medical Association said Labour didn’t “understand” the vital role of GPs, while Dr Clarke called the proposal “monumentally stupid”.The Labour leader and his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves have both warned that there will be no “big government chequebook” to save the NHS – insisting that major reforms are needed in the way it is run. More

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insightNew research has suggested that more than half of the British public want a closer relationship with the EU, in a significant post-Brexit shift.A poll conducted by British Future found that 52 per cent would like the UK to have a closer relationship with the European Union. In comparison, just 12 per cent said they would prefer a more distant relationship and 27 per cent said they would keep the status quo.Pollsters say the research was based on a nationally representative survey as well as a series of discussion groups with people in London, Peterborough and Stockport.It found that almost half of Britain thinks the UK’s relationship with the EU is more important for peace, stability and prosperity than our relationship with the US or with Commonwealth nations. Britons felt most strongly about closer EU collaboration on issues such as counterterrorism, trade, and science/research cooperation. Six in 10 also supported closer collaboration on migration for work and study.The report found that almost half of the public now believe it was wrong to leave the EU, while just over a third think it was right to do soThe director of British Future, Sunder Katwala, said the findings of the report could encourage a new government to try to expand Britain’s relationship with the EU.“These findings show why there was little fuss over Rishi Sunak increasing cooperation with the EU on the Windsor Framework and the Horizon scheme for science. A new government could try to go further,” he said. “Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have talked about resetting the relationship with the EU. The public will give them space and permission for increasing pragmatic cooperation – though it remains unclear how much appetite there is for this in Brussels.”However, Mr Katwala added that these developments could bring into focus the challenges that come with reopening the Brexit debate.The report found that almost half of the public now believe it was wrong to leave the EU, while just over a third think it was right to do so. Labour and Conservative supporters were found to have polarised views on the subject, with 61 per cent of Conservative voters saying it was right to leave while 69 per cent of Labour supporters think it was the wrong decision. However, a majority of each group said they would welcome a less heated debate on the UK’s relationship with the EU. Heather Rolfe, research director for British Future and co-author of the report, said that although there is clear support for a closer relationship with our neighbours in the EU, interest in rekindling the arguments about Brexit is low. “There is clearly pragmatic support among the public in Britain for closer cooperation with our neighbours in the EU,” she said. “But people here do not feel European, and shared interests – in tackling terrorism or climate change, for example – resonate much more with people than the idea of shared values.“A new government would have political space to open up new conversations with Europe about closer collaboration on a wide range of issues. But that needs to be done gradually and with a focus on practical cooperation. “Few people are interested right now in reigniting the polarising arguments of the Brexit debate.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s push to pass an emergency Rwanda bill has been dealt a fresh blow as a group of right-wing Tory MPs has concluded the legislation is not fit for purpose.Sir Bill Cash – who has chaired a “star chamber” legal examination being waited on by hardliners – has said the bill is not “sufficiently watertight” to get deportation flights off the ground.It comes as it emerged that foreign secretary David Cameron is helping in the battle to keep Tory MPs on side ahead of a crucial vote in parliament on Tuesday.Sacked home secretary Suella Braverman piled even more pressure on Mr Sunak – attacking his “rather strange” claim that a tougher bill would have caused the deal with Rwanda to collapse.Suggesting the PM was not telling the truth, she told the Sunday Telegraph: “I’ve been to Rwanda several times and I have spoken to the Rwandan government a lot. It never once raised any kind of concerns like this.”And Robert Jenrick accused Mr Sunak of making a “political choice” to bring forward a Rwanda bill “which doesn’t do the job” – making clear that “one or two symbolic flights” was not good enough.The senior Tory rebel, who quit as immigration minister this week, said he would not back the legislation in parliament. “Absolutely everyone who comes across in a small boat will put in a legal claim,” he told the BBC. Suella Braverman claims Rwandan government did not threaten to pull out of scheme Conservatives from both the right and the left of the party are considering whether to back, oppose or abstain on the legisalation in a crunch vote on Tuesday. Labour will whip to vote against the bill, meaning a rebellion by just 28 Tories could deliver a humiliating defeat.Sir Bill has chaired a so-called “star chamber” of lawyers carrying out an examination for the European Research Group of Tory MPs, but others on the right in the New Conservatives and the Common Sense Group are also awaiting the formal findings – expected on Monday.The veteran Tory wrote in the Telegraph that they had been considering whether the “wording is sufficiently watertight to meet the government’s policy objectives”. Sir Bill added: “At present it does not.”Cabinet minister Michael Gove defended the Rwanda legislation as “tough and robust” – but claimed on Sky News that the government would “take seriously the views” to the views of Sir Bill Cash and others on the Tory right.Despite his insistence that No 10 would listen to rebels, Mr Gove clashed with Mr Jenrick on Sunday – rejecting the right-winger’s claim that “everyone” crossing on a small boat will be able to make a legal claim. “That’s not correct,” he said on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.Michael Gove says Sunak ‘not contimplating early election’ “The only way that an individual can challenge deportation is if there is an immediate risk of serious and irreversible harm,” he said – insisting the number of appeals would be “vanishingly small”. Mr Gove also insisted that Mr Sunak’s government is “not contemplating” holding an early general election if the Rwanda bill is voted down. Asked if it was an option, the senior Sunak ally said: “No, we’re not contemplating that.”Lord Cameron, and several other ministers, are said to have been helping in the No 10 push to persuade Tory rebels to back the bill. The new foreign secretary spoke to Sir Bill for 45 minutes on Friday afternoon, according to the Sunday Times.Backing Mr Jenrick’s claim that the bill leaves open legal challenges by individual asylum seekers, Ms Braverman said: “There will be individual claims brought by every person who is put on the first flight to Rwanda.”She also claimed the bill it leaves the government open to injunctions by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which helped block last year’s planned Rwanda flight. “As it stands Rule 39 [injunctions] will block flights,” Ms Braverman said.David Cameron (l) has been working to persuade Tory MPs to back the bill Moderate Tories from the One Nation group are set to deliver their verdict on Moinday, but remain seriously concerned about the idea ministers will tell the courts they must find Rwanda is “safe”.Damian Green, chair of the group, said: “The powers of ministers to take decisions on their own on individual cases … and also the aspect of legislation asserting that Rwanda is safe. Those are two concerns we have.”Some on the right want to go further in disapplying the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). But The Independent understands that rebels from both sides are expected to wait until a later stage to seek to amend Mr Sunak’s plans, rather than hand him a humiliating defeat on Tuesday.A group of unnamed Tory MPs have told the Mail on Sunday that they would like to get rid of Mr Sunak – with some even keen to bring back Boris Johnson as leader.Dubbed the “pasta plotters”, a small group of anti-Sunak MPs and strategists were said to have met an Italian restaurant to plan “an advent calendar of s***” for the current Tory leader over the Rwanda issue this December.“Whatever you feel about him, one thing no one can question is [Mr Johnson]’s effectiveness as a campaigner,” one red wall MP told the newspaper. But with Mr Johnson out of parliament, the so-called pasta plotters are said to be uncertain who could realistically replace Mr Sunak.Mr Green – chair of the One Nation wing – offered a warning to any right-wing rebels pouncing upon the Rwanda issue as a way to get rid of Mr Sunak.“Anyone who thinks that what the Conservative party or the country needs is a change of prime minister is either mad or malicious or both,” he told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Mr Green added: “It is a very, very small number doing that [plotting to oust Mr Sunak].”Asked on the BBC if he would run for the Tory leadership if Mr Sunak was ousted, Mr Jenrick insisted he was “not interested”. But he warned: “If we do not fix this challenge … then we will face the red-hot fury of the public.”Sir Keir will use a speech on Tuesday, the day of the crucial Rwanda vote, to argue that the Tories are “fighting like rats in a sack”.Mr Sunak said: “This week, Labour needs for once to rise above political games … They need to act in the national interest.” But Labour accused the Tories of “begging for our votes” to pass the legislation. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s Conservatives are facing their worst ever result at the general election and could be left with just 130 seats, according to Professor Sir John Curtice.The country’s top polling guru warned of the bleak situation faced by the Tories as they head into winter with the news dominated by infighting over the prime minister’s Rwanda deportation plan.Prof Curtice said Mr Sunak’s party would be “lucky to win [many] more than 200 seats” and could see an even worse result if its dire poll ratings continued.“If these patterns were to be replicated in a general election, the outcome for the Conservatives could be bleak indeed – maybe as few as 130 seats, the worst outcome in the party’s history,” he wrote for The Sunday Telegraph.The outcome would be even worse than the 165 seats the Tories were left with in 1997, when the party, then led by John Major, was thumped by Tony Blair’s Labour – which won a landslide 179-seat majority.With Labour enjoying a consistent polling lead of close to 20 points, Prof Curtice said voters appear to have “stopped listening” to the Tories on the big issues.He warned Mr Sunak that his recent anti-immigration push had “not gone well”. The elections expert said it looked like the Rwanda bill “could divide the party just as [Theresa] May’s ill-fated Brexit deal did in 2019”.Rishi Sunak is battling to persuade Tory MPs not to rebel on his Rwanda policyOn the major split currently looming in response to Mr Sunak’s plans, Prof Curtice wrote: “Divided parties rarely prosper at the polls. In pursuing their disagreements with Mr Sunak over immigration, Tory MPs should realise they are potentially playing with fire.”He added: “Even though the polls have repeatedly indicated that the government’s Rwanda policy is relatively popular – at least among those who voted Conservative in 2019 – the first polls since this week’s developments suggest they also are unlikely to move the electoral dial.”He continued: “We should not be surprised. Although many 2019 Conservative voters are unhappy about the level of legal and ‘illegal’ immigration, those who feel that immigration has gone up a lot are not especially likely to say they will not vote Conservative again.”There is speculation at Westminster that Mr Sunak may be forced into a snap election in the early part of 2024 if he struggles to get his Rwanda bill through parliament.But cabinet minister Michael Gove insisted that Mr Sunak’s government is “not contemplating” holding an early general election if the Rwanda bill is voted down. Asked if it was an option, the senior Sunak ally told Sky News: “No, we’re not contemplating that.”Some Tory MPs are said to have discussed trying to bring back Boris Johnson A group of unnamed Tory MPs have told The Mail on Sunday that they would like to get rid of Mr Sunak – with some even keen to bring back Boris Johnson as leader.Dubbed the “pasta plotters”, a small group of anti-Sunak MPs and strategists were said to have met at an Italian restaurant to plan “an Advent calendar of s***” for the current Tory leader over the Rwanda issue this December.“Whatever you feel about him, one thing no one can question is [Mr Johnson]’s effectiveness as a campaigner,” one red-wall MP told the newspaper. But with Mr Johnson out of parliament, the so-called pasta plotters are said to be uncertain who could realistically replace Mr Sunak.Damian Green – chair of the One Nation wing – offered a warning to any right-wing rebels pouncing on the Rwanda issue as a way to get rid of Mr Sunak.“Anyone who thinks that what the Conservative Party or the country needs is a change of prime minister is either mad, or malicious, or both,” he told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.Mr Green added: “It is a very, very small number doing that [plotting to oust Mr Sunak].” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Hundreds of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporters protested Sunday to mark International Human Rights Day, as the country gears up for a general election on Jan. 7 that the opposition says should be held under a non-partisan, caretaker government.The party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is boycotting the election, leaving voters in the South Asian nation of 166 million with little choice but to re-elect Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League for a fourth consecutive term.At Sunday’s protest in front of the National Press Club in downtown Dhaka, opposition activists said they do not think a fair and free election can take place under Hasina’s watch. The gathering took place weeks after a massive opposition rally on Oct. 28 turned violent.The party’s decision to boycott the polls comes amid a monthslong crackdown that has reportedly seen hundreds of opposition politicians jailed and critics silenced, an allegation authorities have denied.Demonstrators on Sunday carried banners that read “Human chain of family members of the victims of murder and enforced disappearances” and “We want the unconditional release of all prisoners.”After the Oct. 28 rally, authorities arrested thousands of party leaders and activists including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Many others have gone into hiding, and hundreds have been convicted by courts on charges of violence or subversive acts that the opposition says are politically motivated.New York-based Human Rights Watch in a report last month put the number of arrested opposition activists at 10,000 since Oct. 28 and said that at least 16 people including two police officers died during the period of violence.Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of Zia’s party, told a video conference from hiding that the government has arrested or punished political leaders and activists under fictitious charges to ensure a lopsided election result.He urged the people to boycott “the stage-managed election” that he said would deepen the country’s political crisis and push it toward danger.“The upcoming one-sided election is not just a renewal of Sheikh Hasina’s power, but a license to destroy Bangladesh,” he said.While critics have slammed the election as a farce, the government has rejected allegations of a crackdown on the opposition and says the polls will be democratically held and inclusive.“Our stand is very clear. Those who are involved in acts of sabotage or arson attacks, those who attacked police and killed them, are being dealt with on specific charges. We clearly reject the claim that there has been any crackdown against the opposition party,” Mohammad A. Arafat, a ruling party lawmaker and member of the International Affairs Committee, told The Associated Press.“It has no relation with the election. It’s a constitutional mandate to hold the election on time. It’s a matter of their choice to join the polls. But they are resorting to violence in the name of protests, rather than joining the race,” he said.The election will be the country’s 12th since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971.In the 2008 election, the main challenger BNP and its allies won more than 40% of the vote, but lost to Awami League, which got an absolute majority. Subsequent elections took place in 2014 — which Zia’s party boycotted — and again in 2018 under Hasina’s administration, but the opposition rejected the results, saying the election was rigged. Hasina rejected the allegations. This time again, while candidates from 29 out of 44 registered political parties have filed nominations, no one from Zia’s party is contesting the polls. After a review, the country’s Election Commission accepted 1,985 nominations and rejected 731 for a total of 300 constituencies. Media reports say many independent candidates belong to the ruling Awami League party, which has encouraged them to contest the election to make it look competitive.The events have drawn concern from observers at home and abroad over the health of democracy in Bangladesh, even as it transforms into an economic success story under Hasina.Hasina’s administration has faced pressure from Western democracies, especially from the United States, while the United Nations and the European Union have also pressed for a free, fair and inclusive election.“Specifically, we have emphasized that it is important to have free and fair elections that all stakeholders have the ability to participate peacefully. The holding of free and fair elections is the responsibility of everyone — all political parties, voters, the government, the security forces, and the media,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an email to The Associated Press.Analyst Iftekhar Zaman, the head of the anti-corruption group Transparency International Bangladesh, said the election may be held on time but it will be “non-inclusive” and “morally void.”During the last election in 2018, Joydeb Sana, a private security guard working at a five-story apartment building in the capital, Dhaka, traveled to his ancestral village in southwestern Bangladesh to cast his vote.But on election day, he found that someone else had already cast his vote.“I don’t know who did it. In the end my candidate won the election and Sheikh Hasina became the prime minister. I was happy for that, but I could not vote for my candidate, and that was upsetting,” Sana told the AP.He hopes he can cast his own vote this time.“It’s my right to vote for my preferred candidate. Last time I was deprived of that,” he said. More