Politics latest news: Sunak 'taken hostage' by Tory MPs over Rwanda plan, claims Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer claimed Rishi Sunak had been “taken hostage” by Tory MPs over his flagship Rwanda plan.

The Rwanda Bill will return to the House of Commons on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, with some Conservative backbenchers seeking to toughen it up while others are adamant they will not accept any further strengthening of the legislation.

Sir Keir claimed during Prime Minister’s Questions that Mr Sunak was “too scared of his own MPs” and argued the migrant deportation policy “won’t work”.

The Labour leader said: “Just like he knows that debt isn’t falling and taxes are going up, he knows the Rwanda gimmick won’t work. But he can’t be honest about it because he is too scared of his own MPs. Doesn’t he wish he had stuck to his guns rather than to allow himself to be taken hostage by his own party?”

Mr Sunak hit back and said: “We are debating this because we have taken a stand and we are delivering the toughest migration plan ever, to end the legal challenges and actually get flights off the ground. He doesn’t have a single practical idea about how to stop the boats.”

You can follow the latest updates below and join the conversation in the comments section here. 

04:00 PM GMT

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03:38 PM GMT

Lord Cameron congratulates new French PM

03:31 PM GMT

Replacing London’s historic gas lamps with LEDs to hit net zero would be vandalism, top Tories warn

A net zero push to replace London’s historic gas lamps with LED replicas would represent cultural vandalism, senior Conservative MPs have warned.

Almost 100 lamps in the capital that do not have listed status are under threat as Westminster council officials seek to insert eco-friendly lights.

The local authority has claimed that replacing the lamps, which have illuminated the streets of London since 1812, would help it to achieve its 2030 carbon-neutral target.

However, campaigners including the Victorian Society, the London Gasketeers and senior politicians past and present are demanding each light is given a grade listing to prevent any alterations.

You can read the full story here.

03:09 PM GMT

Sunak to 'carefully' consider Rwanda Bill amendments

Rishi Sunak and his ministers will “carefully” consider all proposed amendments to the Rwanda Bill, Downing Street has said.

Dozens of Conservative MPs on the right of the party are backing amendments aimed at strengthening the legislation.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said it was “right as we do with all amendments to consider them carefully, before deciding on how to act”.

He said that the Government had said it would act within the “parameters” of both providing a deterrent and wouldn’t do anything that would jeopardise the Rwanda partnership.

Mr Sunak’s press secretary said that there were a “whole series of engagements” taking place “consistently” with MPs.

She said those bringing forward amendments should “explain why they think they have a respectable legal argument”.

02:49 PM GMT

Labour backs calls for Alan Bates to receive honour

Labour has said it would support an honour for Alan Bates for his work in bringing the Post Office scandal to light.

Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said: “I think Alan Bates clearly has emerged as a hero throughout this for the way in which he has led the campaign, the fortitude and resolve he was shown given everything that has been thrown at him throughout this process.

“Obviously honours have their own independent process, but I’m sure that is something the public would regard as entirely appropriate and we would support.”

02:41 PM GMT

New Post Office law 'may take some weeks to deliver'

The postal services minister said the new Post Office law announced by Rishi Sunak “may take some weeks to deliver”.

Kevin Hollinrake told the House of Commons: “The legislation may take some weeks to deliver, but the sooner the better – that will be a matter for both Houses in terms of the introduction and passing of that legislation – but our intention is to get on with that very, very quickly.”

02:26 PM GMT

'The finer detail of how this will be achieved is key'

Legal representatives of subpostmasters have warned the Government against giving “false hope” after the Prime Minister promised a new law would be introduced to exonerate hundreds of Post Office branch managers caught up in the Horizon scandal.

Neil Hudgell, of Hudgell Solicitors, who represent a number of subpostmasters, said in a statement: “We very much welcome the Government’s pledge to exonerate and compensate all the innocent victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal, made in Parliament by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today.

“Whilst some of the pledges appear hugely positive, the finer detail of how this will be achieved is key.

“Having supported subpostmasters for the past three-and-a-half years, we have seen how this scandal has impacted on each and every victim, and their wider families, in different ways, and how it continues to impact on them today.

“We must be careful not to give them false hope from political promises only for them to be let down again. Our clients await the review of the finer detail that sits behind these proposals with considerable interest.”

01:56 PM GMT

No10 signals Post Office scandal campaigner could be in line for honour

Downing Street has argued that there are few people more deserving of an honour than Horizon scandal campaigner Alan Bates.

Asked if Rishi Sunak will consider re-nominating him for an honour, the Prime Minister’s press secretary said: “There is a formal process for honours… but it’s hard to think of someone more deserving of being rewarded through the honours system than him.”

01:42 PM GMT

No10 to talk to Scotland and Northern Ireland on Post Office plans

Downing Street will work with Scotland and Northern Ireland to ensure subpostmasters in those nations can also be cleared.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We want to work with relevant bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland on this matter, it’s not something we can do cross-UK.”

01:40 PM GMT

New Post Office law will work on a 'blanket basis', says No10

Downing Street has said that the quashing of Horizon convictions will be done on a “blanket basis”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We will introduce new primary legislation to quash all convictions that were based on erroneous Horizon evidence or the egregious behaviour of the Post Office in the period in question.

“This will be done on a blanket basis, clearing people’s names and making sure they access the compensation they rightly deserve as quickly as possible instead of waiting for years for the courts to wade through hundreds of convictions.

01:16 PM GMT

No10 wants subpostmaster convictions quashed before end of 2024

Downing Street hopes to have the convictions of subpostmasters hit by the Horizon scandal quashed before the end of the year.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The ambition is to do that this year and we will introduce the legislation within weeks.

“We are confident it will be well supported within the House.”

01:13 PM GMT

Government aware of 'imperfections' with Post Office plan, says minister

Kevin Hollinrake conceded the Government’s plan to quash subpostmaster convictions was not perfect but he argued now was the right time to deliver “rapid justice”.

The postal services minister told the House of Commons: “The House will have heard that we are well aware of the imperfections of this solution. I am sure that this will attract some critics.

“But when they criticise our course I’d invite them to say what they would do otherwise. Would they leave many people suffering under the burden of unjust convictions for many years or perhaps forever with no access to compensation?

“Or would they create some administrative process for deciding innocence which is more onerous for the victims? I very much hope the whole House will stand with the Government to deliver rapid justice to convicted postmasters who have been waiting much, much too long.”

01:05 PM GMT

Postal services minister sets out safeguard for compensation plan

Subpostmasters who have their convictions quashed and receive compensation will have to sign a formal statement that they “did not commit the crimes of which they were accused”.

Kevin Hollinrake, the postal services minister, said this was a “proportionate” approach to guarding against people potentially claiming the compensation if they had actually committed a crime.

He told the Commons: “All we ask is that as part of their claims of compensation, postmasters sign a statement to the effect they did not commit the crimes of which they were accused.

“Anyone subsequently found to have signed such a statement untruthfully will be putting themselves at risk of prosecution for fraud.

“I do not pretend to the House that this is a foolproof device but it is a proportionate one which respects the ordeal with which these people have already suffered.”

12:55 PM GMT

New Post Office law to be brought forward 'as soon as we can', says minister

Kevin Hollinrake, the postal services minister, is answering an urgent question in the House of Commons on the Post Office scandal as he sets out more details of the plan to legislate to quash convictions.

He said the new law will be brought forward “as soon as we can”.

He told MPs: “We intend to bring forward legislation as soon as we can to overturn the convictions of all those convicted in England or Wales on the basis of Post Office evidence given during the Horizon scandal.

“The Government will in the coming days consider whether to include the small number of cases that have already been considered by the appeal courts and the convictions upheld. We recognise this is an exceptional step but these are exceptional circumstances.”

12:38 PM GMT

Sunak accuses SNP leader of seeking to 'politicise' Post Office scandal

Rishi Sunak accused the Westminster leader of the SNP of seeking to “politicise” the Post Office scandal.

Stephen Flynn had told Mr Sunak: “The reality is that when the public come knocking on the doors of this here chamber seeking justice, the Government only ever answers when they have no options left.

“The leader of the opposition [Sir Keir Starmer] said last week that the public are right to be angry at Westminster and they are angry at Westminster because they know that this place never really changes, does it Prime Minister?”

Mr Sunak replied: “I am sad that the honourable gentleman is trying to politicise something that has happened over multiple decades with multiple people at fault.”

The Prime Minister added: “Rather than trying to politicise it, what we should be doing is focusing on the people affected and making sure that they get the answers, justice and compensation that they deserve and that is what we are delivering,” he added.

12:29 PM GMT

Starmer tells Sunak 'Britain is breaking'

The Labour leader claimed Rishi Sunak was “blissfully uninterested in what is going on outside the walls of Westminster”.

Sir Keir Starmer asked: “Does he realise how ludicrous it looks when he spends his time boasting while Britain is breaking?”

Sir Keir claimed it was a “new year, new nonsense” from Mr Sunak and asked: “Doesn’t the country deserve so much better than a Prime Minister who simply doesn’t get Britain?”

The Prime Minister replied: “Last week we had yet another half hour speech from [Sir Keir] and what a surprise, yet again, it didn’t contain a single new idea.

“We have had four years of him as Labour leader and it is still all slogan, now plan.”

He added: “It is crystal clear: Stick with us to deliver the long term change that the country needs, don’t go back to square one with him.”

12:22 PM GMT

Labour leader claims Sunak 'taken hostage' by Tory MPs over Rwanda plan

Sir Keir Starmer claimed Rishi Sunak had been “taken hostage by his own party” over the Rwanda plan.

The Labour leader told the House of Commons during PMQs: “Just like he knows that debt isn’t falling and taxes are going up, he knows the Rwanda gimmick won’t work. But he can’t be honest about it because he is too scared of his own MPs.

“Doesn’t he wish he had stuck to his guns rather than to allow himself to be taken hostage by his own party?”

Mr Sunak said: “We are debating this because we have taken a stand and we are delivering the toughest migration plan ever to end the legal challenges and actually get flights off the ground.

“He doesn’t have a single practical idea about how to stop the boats.”

12:19 PM GMT

Starmer claims Sunak has 'failed' on small boats, NHS and economy

Sir Keir Starmer claimed Rishi Sunak had “failed” on key policies and sought to tell the British public that “black is white” and “up is down”.

The Labour leader said: “It doesn’t matter how many relaunches, flip-fops, he does, he will always be Mr Nobody. Here is the tragedy of his leadership. He spends the whole time trying to convince poeople not to believe their own eyes, pretending that debt is falling, that the economy is going gangbusters, the NHS is in great shape.

“When he finally finds something he was right about, the Rwanda gimmick, he can’t even take credit for it. When is he going to stop pretending that up is down, that black is white and admit that whether it is the economy, immigration, the NHS, he has failed.”

Mr Sunak said: “Let’s just go through his checklist. he talks about the backlog, 112,000 decisions made last year, a higher number than in any year in the past two decades.

“He talked about hotels, the first 50 are being closed and there are more to come. He talks about the numbers, well they were down by over a third last year.”

12:13 PM GMT

Labour leader grills Sunak over Rwanda claims

Sir Keir Starmer asked the Prime Minister about the Government’s Rwanda Bill and the migrant deportation plan.

Rishi Sunak said that he was clear “you do need to stop the boats” and that was what he will deliver.

Sir Keir then referred to reports that Mr Sunak had doubts about the Rwanda plan when was chancellor. The Labour leader claimed Mr Sunak had been “caught red-handed opposing the very thing that he has now made his flagship policy”.

But the Prime Minister said: “I have always been crystal clear: You do need to have an effective deterrence to finally solve this problem.”

12:09 PM GMT

Starmer welcomes Sunak Post Office plan and will 'look at the details'

Sir Keir Starmer said the Post Office scandal was a “huge injustice” and victims had been waiting “far too long for the truth, for justice and for compensation”.

He told the Commons: “So I am glad the Prime Minister is putting forward a proposal. We will look at the details and I think it is the job of all of us to make sure that it deliversthe justice that is so needed.”

12:05 PM GMT

Rishi Sunak announces new law to quash convictions of Post Office scandal victims

Rishi Sunak has announced the Government will bring forward a new law to quash the convictions of the subpostmasters caught up in the Horizon IT scandal.

Mr Sunak said: “This is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history, people who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own.

“The victims must get justice and compensation.”

He continued: “Today I can announce that we will introduce new primary legislation to make sure that those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal are swiftly exonerated and compensated.”

12:00 PM GMT

Tory MPs cheer Sunak as he enters Commons for PMQs

Rishi Sunak has just entered the House of Commons and taken his place on the Government frontbench.

The Prime Minister was welcomed to the chamber with cheers from Tory MPs.

11:45 AM GMT

Pictured: Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street ahead of PMQs at noon

11:43 AM GMT

Rural voters more likely to back Labour than the Tories

Rural voters are more likely to back Labour than the Tories at the next election following a huge swing to the Left in traditionally true blue territory, new polling suggests.

The Conservatives have been warned that “a Portillo moment is possible anywhere” as a newly-released survey put Sir Keir Starmer’s party four points ahead in the countryside.

Labour has vowed to “park our tanks on the Tories’ fields” in a bid to claw back the rural vote, with Steve Reed, the new shadow environment secretary, leading the charge.

You can read the full story here.

11:32 AM GMT

Rishi Sunak set to face PMQs at noon

Rishi Sunak will face his first Prime Minister’s Questions of 2024 from noon today, with all eyes on whether the premier will make an announcement on the Post Office scandal.

The issue has dominated in Westminster since MPs returned to the House of Commons on Monday and there is speculation Mr Sunak could set out the Government’s solution to helping subpostmasters who were wrongly convicted.

Postal services minister Kevin Hollinrake said this morning that an announcement was “imminent” but he would not be more specific than saying it should be unveiled this week.

11:12 AM GMT

Sir David Davis granted urgent question in Commons on Post Office scandal

Sir David Davis has been granted an urgent question in the House of Commons on the Post Office scandal this afternoon.

The former Brexit secretary will ask ministers to “make a statement on compensation and outstanding matters relating to the Post Office Horizon scandal”.

The urgent question will take place immediately after Prime Minister’s questions which will start at noon.

10:59 AM GMT

Labour poll lead over Tories largest since start of October 2023

The Labour Party holds a 19 point poll lead over the Tories, according to a new Savanta survey.

The company said it was Labour’s largest advantage since the start of October last year.

The latest poll, conducted between January 5-7, put Labour on 45 per cent of the vote and the Tories on 26 per cent.

Labour were up by two points and the Conservatives were down by one point when compared to the company’s previous survey conducted between December 15-17.

10:46 AM GMT

Cost of London to Birmingham HS2 leg ‘up by £10bn’

The estimated cost of building HS2 between London and Birmingham has increased by as much as £10billion, taking the overall cost to as much as £66.6billion, MPs were told this morning.

HS2 Ltd executive chairman Sir Jon Thompson told the Transport Select Committee that the estimated cost for Phase One was between £49billion and £56.6billion at 2019 prices.

But adjusting the range for current prices involved “adding somewhere between eight and 10 billion pounds”.

In 2013, HS2 was estimated to cost £37.5billion [in 2009 prices] for the entire planned network, including now-scrapped extensions from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds.

Sir Jon said reasons for the cost increase include original budgets being too low, changes to scope, poor delivery and inflation.

10:43 AM GMT

Miriam Cates: Tories will ‘look pretty daft’ if Rwanda Bill fails

The Conservatives will “look pretty daft” if the Rwanda Bill fails and small boat Channel crossings are not stopped, a Tory MP said.

Miriam Cates said failing on the small boats issue represented the “biggest threat to the Conservative Party”.

She told Times Radio: “I think the only way to satisfy not only the Conservative Party, but actually the country, is to make this Bill work.

“And we are going to look pretty daft and we will have failed if we go into the next election and this third attempt at producing legislation has not stopped the boats.

“That is the biggest threat to the Conservative Party and the country as a whole. So really, we should all be united about wanting to make this Bill work.”

10:38 AM GMT

Rwanda ‘loopholes’ must be closed, says Tory MP

Miriam Cates said “loopholes” relating to the Government’s Rwanda plan must be closed so that there is an “effective deterrent” to small boat Channel crossings.

The Tory MP has backed amendments to the Rwanda Bill to toughen the legislation. Some of the amendments are aimed at narrowing the circumstances in which individuals could challenge being sent to Rwanda.

Ms Cates told Times Radio: “If we can’t make it work with Rwanda, then we can’t make it work in principle, we can’t make it work with other countries. We can’t expand this scheme that other countries are very much looking at.

“So we have to make sure we close off the loopholes that were very clearly identified in the Supreme Court judgement last year. We have to close those loopholes, otherwise we don’t create an effective deterrent.”

10:17 AM GMT

Jenrick won’t say if he will vote against Rwanda Bill if unamended

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick would not say whether he will vote against the Rwanda Bill if it is not amended.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he will consider that when it comes to the Bill’s third reading - the final stage legislation must clear in the Commons before it heads to the Lords for further scrutiny.

“I hope that we’ll win the argument first, so we’re not looking ahead to that,” he said.

10:04 AM GMT

Rwanda Bill amendments are in line with international law, says Jenrick

Amendments designed to toughen up the Rwanda Bill are in line with international law, former immigration minister Robert Jenrick said.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “That was the test that the Prime Minister put forward.

“We can argue about the wisdom of that test, because I would say that border security is something of such importance, and we are in such a significant and deep crisis, that those vital national interests supersede very contested notions of international law.

“But nonetheless these amendments have all been drawn up with pre-eminent legal experts and we have even gone to the further step of seeking a legal opinion from a leading KC who attests both to the importance of these amendments and to the fact that there are respectable international law arguments for them.

“So the Prime Minister’s own tests have been met.”

09:47 AM GMT

Government faces ‘third strike’ if Rwanda Bill fails, says Jenrick

Robert Jenrick said the Government was facing its “third strike” if its Rwanda Bill fails.

The former immigration minister is pushing to toughen up the legislation when it returns to the House of Commons next week.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This is the third piece of legislation in three years, it’s three strikes or you’re out, we’ve got to get this right.

“The two central amendments that we are putting forward are firstly, ending the merry-go-round of individual claims whereby illegal migrants claim every possible defence in order to frustrate their removal to Rwanda. Without that the scheme will fail legally and operationally.

“And secondly, ending the so called pyjama injunctions from the Strasbourg court – the kind of injunctions that frustrated the policy back in the summer of 2022 – whereby a foreign court is able to injuct a flight or individuals on a flight and then make the policy ultimately fail.”

The Government hopes the Bill will pave the way for migrant deportation flights to finally take off but some Tory MPs believe without changes the policy will once again end up in front of the courts.

09:33 AM GMT

Decade of Labour in power ‘almost written in already’, says Farage

A decade of Labour in power is “almost written in already” because of widespread voter “disenchantment” with the Tories, Nigel Farage claimed.

The honorary president of Reform UK also said he did not know if the Conservative Party will end up being replaced.

He told GB News: “I think Labour have got a decade in power almost written in already, such is the level of disenchantment at the Conservatives and what they’ve done.”

He added: “I don’t know whether the Conservatives are going to be replaced, whether they’re going to be changed; what I do know is that Reform is going to play a very important role in realigning the centre right of British politics to give us a proper choice.”

09:16 AM GMT

Tories are ‘doomed’ at next election, says Farage

Nigel Farage rejected the claim made by the Tories that a vote for Reform UK at the next election would help Labour win power.

He told GB News: “This is not a one election plan, let’s be clear about that. Richard Tice is not saying, ‘vote for us and we’ll form the next government’. Richard Tice is saying ‘vote for us and let’s begin this revolution’.

“We got back self-government – great. Now we have to work out how to use it and how to do it rather more effectively than either Labour or Conservatives can.

“So it’s a long term game and we’ll level with the voters on that. And ultimately, you know this idea – vote Reform, you’ll get Labour. Here’s the truth of it. We’re going to get Labour anyway.”

He pointed to a YouGov poll published yesterday which had Labour 24 points ahead.

He added: “This attempt to try and squeeze the Reform vote won’t work because [the Conservatives] are doomed.”

09:03 AM GMT

Farage calls for ‘complete revolution’ in UK politics

Nigel Farage said there needed to be a “complete revolution” in British politics as he accused the Tories of breaking promises they made at the 2019 general election.

He told GB News: “2019 was an election where not only did I get rid of Mrs [Theresa] May but I stood aside for Boris Johnson.

“I wanted to get Brexit done, of course I did. And they made a series of promises in that manifesto that they never intended to keep and now they’re saying: ‘We know we’re useless but please vote for us because Labour are worse’. Boring, boring, boring.

“Our politics is failing at every level. We need a complete revolution in the way things are run.”

08:50 AM GMT

ITV Post Office drama prompts more victims to come forward

Some 130 people affected by the Horizon IT scandal have come forward since a new ITV programme dramatising the miscarriage of justice aired, the postal services minister has said.

Kevin Hollinrake told Sky News: “I think 130 people have come forward to one of the key solicitors in this… so it’s good that people are coming forward.”

Mr Hollinrake urged anyone affected to make themselves known to the compensation scheme itself or the Government, promising processes would be “quick”.

08:43 AM GMT

Two-thirds of voters back new law to exonerate all Post Office scandal victims

An overwhelming majority of people believe the Government should pass a new law to quash the convictions of subpostmasters caught up in the Post Office scandal, according to a new YouGov poll.

The survey, conducted yesterday, found 66 per cent of respondents believe a new law should be passed to clear all of the convicted subpostmasters at once.

Meanwhile, a quarter - 26 per cent - said each case should be looked at individually by the courts so they can be cleared.

Some seven per cent were unsure and one per cent picked neither option.

08:36 AM GMT

Some victims of Post Office scandal reluctant to come forward, suggests minister

Some victims of the Horizon IT scandal are reluctant to come forward to challenge their wrongful convictions because they do not want “anything more to do with the Post Office”, the postal services minister said.

Kevin Hollinrake told Times Radio: “We have made full and final settlements to 64 per cent of postmasters, £148million has been paid out already.

“But of course the 36 per cent, there is a great focus on those, there are some complexities around that, not least the ones that you described because of the 980 postmasters that were convicted, so far only 93 have managed to get those convictions overturned.

“And there is a problem there both in terms of the overturning of the convictions when people do come forward but also lots of people just don’t want to come forward, are not coming forward, and I think that part of that is a nervousness or people just wanting to move on completely, not wanting anything more to do with the Post Office and you can understand that.”

08:20 AM GMT

New law to quash convictions would be ‘very significant step’, says minister

The postal services minister confirmed that the Government is considering introducing a new law to quash the convictions of subpostmasters caught up in the Post Office scandal.

Kevin Hollinrake said it would be a “very significant step” to introduce such a law because some of the issues “potentially cut across judicial processes”.

He told Times Radio: “That is certainly what we have got under consideration. These are very complex issues and they potentially cut across judicial processes of course which are independent of government.

“So it is a very significant step if we take that step so we have got to take that step very carefully. That’s what we are looking at now.

“Our determination has always been to get compensation to people affected by the Horizon scandal as quickly as possible, make sure that compensation is fair.

“But also to hold those responsible to account, be that organisations or individuals. That is what we have been doing for years now and we are absolutely determined to do this more quickly.”

08:18 AM GMT

Minister: Announcement 'imminent' on Government's plan to help Post Office victims

An announcement of the Government’s plan to help the victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal is “imminent”, the postal services minister said this morning.

Kevin Hollinrake said the Government believed it now has the “solution” but he could not be specific on when it will be unveiled, beyond saying it is likely to be this week.

There is speculation that Rishi Sunak could make an announcement at the start of Prime Minister’s Questions at noon today.

Mr Hollinrake told Sky News: “An announcement is imminent. We believe we have a solution. But I said at the despatch box this week it would be this week, we felt, and I think it will be this week. But I can’t promise you any particular timescale.”

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