Rishi Sunak can no longer claim to represent stability, says George Osborne

Rishi Sunak can no longer claim he has “stabilised things”, George Osborne has warned amid growing disquiet over his Rwanda plan.

Speaking on the latest episode of his Political Currency podcast, Mr Osborne, a former Tory chancellor, said: “Well, the Tory civil wars have completely reopened. Rishi Sunak’s big claim was, ‘I’ve come after the chaos of Boris Johnson and the chaos of Liz Truss….I’ve stabilised things.’

“He can’t now claim anymore to have stabilised things. His government is fragmenting around this immigration issue. And Rob Jenrick is a very particular loss for him because Jenrick was - alongside Oliver Dowden, and Rishi Sunak - one of the three musketeers.”

The Prime Minister is under fire from both ‘One Nation’ Tories and the Right of the party, with MPs concerned about the effectiveness and potential consequences of his emergency legislation.

Robert Jenrick quit as Mr Sunak’s immigration minister over the proposals on Wednesday night, prompting speculation that fresh letters of no confidence had been submitted and fresh concerns about the stability of the Government.

Mr Sunak held a press conference earlier on Thursday in which he urged his own MPs to help him “finish the job” and suggested critics of his proposals “cleary don’t” want to stop the boats.

He told reporters: “I’m determined to actually fix this problem and the people who want to do something else clearly don’t. Because I’m confident this will work. There’s no point having a piece of legislation with no one to send anyone to at the end of it.”

04:01 PM GMT

That's all for today...

Thank you for joining me on another dramatic day in Westminster as Rishi Sunak took the fight to critics of his Rwanda policy in a press conference which saw him insist they “clearly don’t” want to stop small boat arrivals.

I will be back early tomorrow to guide you through the day.

03:43 PM GMT

'The Tories must think we’re idiots to believe Rwanda won't let us leave the ECHR'

Rishi Sunak won the Tory leadership election last year partly on the basis he was a safe pair of hands, a moderate not beholden to any faction in the party, writes Andrew Tettenborn.

Read more: ‘To many voters, this will look like another convenient excuse’

03:19 PM GMT

Dia Chakravarty: Labour’s attack on private education will hurt state school parents too

Labour’s proposed raid on private schools is in danger of harming the very state system it purports to benefit, writes Dia Chakravarty, The Telegraph’s Brexit Editor.

When first announced, Labour’s position was to strip independent schools of charitable status, thus removing various tax exemptions available to these institutions.

After it became clear that the move would involve changing the definition of “charity” in the statute books, the plan to remove private schools’ charity status was scrapped, but the schools would still pay 20pc in VAT and possibly also business rates on buildings, following Scotland’s lead. The hugely optimistic £2.5bn that Labour hopes to raise in taxes is to be invested in state schools.

Smaller private schools, which some argue represent the vast majority of independent schools, risk closure in the face of the proposed new taxes. These schools tend to be relatively low cost, providing an education for children who are not from especially wealthy families.

Dia Chakravarty: Starmer’s plan risks overwhelming comprehensives

03:12 PM GMT

Tory chairman: Another leadership contest would be 'insanity'

It would be “insanity” to hold another Conservative leadership contest before the next general election, the party chairman has said.

Asked by my Telegraph colleague Amy Gibbons about the prospect of another vote amid speculation around the future of Rishi Sunak, Richard Holden replied: “I think it’d be insanity to do that.”

03:06 PM GMT

'It all looks a very weak position for the Prime Minister'

Rishi Sunak is now in a “very weak position” with his own party over Rwanda, George Osborne has said.

The former Tory chancellor said in the latest episode of his Political Currency podcast: “It means that Sunak has got a big rebellion in the Conservative party on one of the big central issues, immigration.

“It also means, frankly, that the ability of the government to sort of effectively get things done is starting to really fray.

“Because they may have a kind of quite large majority on paper, but back again are the big splits, back again is the European Research Group, the ERG, which caused such a nightmare for Theresa May, and ultimately caused problems for Boris Johnson….So it all looks a very weak position for a prime minister.”

03:03 PM GMT

PM can no longer claim to represent stability, says George Osborne

Rishi Sunak can no longer claim he has “stabilised things”, George Osborne has warned amid growing disquiet over his Rwanda plan.

Speaking on the latest episode of his Political Currency podcast, Mr Osborne, a former Tory chancellor, said: “Well, the Tory civil wars have completely reopened. Rishi Sunak’s big claim was, ‘I’ve come after the chaos of Boris Johnson and the chaos of Liz Truss….I’ve stabilised things.’

“He can’t now claim anymore to have stabilised things. His government is fragmenting around this immigration issue. And Rob Jenrick is a very particular loss for him because Jenrick was - alongside Oliver Dowden, and Rishi Sunak - one of the three musketeers.”

02:54 PM GMT

Jacob Rees-Mogg’s money management firm to shut down after losing biggest client

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg’s money management business is to shut down after losing its biggest client.

Somerset Capital Management, which was co-founded by the Tory MP, is to wind down after wealth manager St James’s Place (SJP) said Somerset could no longer manage $2.5bn (£2bn) of its funds.

Somerset Capital was last week removed from the running of two SJP funds, reducing the amount it manages by more than two-thirds. Somerset was left managing $1bn, a level at which many fund managers struggle to operate given the costs involved.

A spokesman said Somerset’s Asia Income Fund and its Emerging Market Dividend Growth Fund would “transition to a new investment adviser”.

Michael Bow has the full story here

02:42 PM GMT

Rwanda plan a 'dark day' for Britain, claims Humza Yousaf

The Scottish First Minister has labelled Rishi Sunak’s plan to tackle illegal immigration a “dark day” for the UK.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Humza Yousaf, who is also the leader of the SNP, said: “It’s a real dark day for the UK - a country that once welcomed immigrants, including my grandfather to the country, in fact, begged him to come and others to come to work in their factories, to drive buses, due to the labour shortages that were seen at that time.”

Mr Yousaf added: “On asylum, the UK Government has virtually eliminated any practical legal route for those that are fleeing war or persecution.

“The policies of the UK Government in this respect are not only morally repugnant, but they are economically illiterate.”

02:11 PM GMT

Dominic Cummings: Rishi Sunak's press conference was 'pure farce'

02:07 PM GMT

Majority of voters now have negative view of Sunak

More than half of all voters now have a negative view of Rishi Sunak, new polling has found.

Fifty-two per cent of those surveyed said they had an unfavourable opinion of Mr Sunak, according to data published by Ipsos on Thursday afternoon.

This is up from 39 per cent who said the same in January, and means he has almost become as unpopular as the wider Conservative Party.

Keiran Pedley, director of politics at Ipsos, told the PA news agency: “In January, Rishi Sunak held a net favourability rating of minus 9 whilst the Conservative Party stood at minus 26. Today Mr Sunak’s stands at minus 28 and the Conservative Party minus 33.

“A year of public concern about the cost of living, NHS and immigration now means Mr Sunak is almost as unpopular as the party he leads as he grapples with how to turn their collective fortune around in 2024.”

01:54 PM GMT

Johnson tells Covid Inquiry he never said he wanted to ‘let it rip’

Boris Johnson has denied saying during the Covid pandemic that he wanted to “let it rip” as he insisted his focus was always on saving lives.

On his second day in the witness box at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, the former prime minister was also challenged over allegations that he had said old people who had “had a good innings” should be left to die.

He insisted that as the only lay person in meetings with scientific experts, it was his job to test their arguments for lockdowns by presenting the opposing view before he had to announce new lockdown measures to the public.

Mr Johnson was shown extracts of diaries kept by Sir Patrick Vallance, the former chief scientific adviser, in which he repeatedly made reference to Mr Johnson wanting to “let it rip” during conversations about a second lockdown in summer and autumn 2020.

Gordon Rayner and Blathnaid Corless have the full story

01:27 PM GMT

'One Nation' Tory MPs have concerns over Rwanda plan

The One Nation caucus of Conservative MPs is understood to be concerned about Rishi Sunak’s proposed Rwanda law.

This is because Rwanda is declared a safe country in the legislation, meaning courts cannot say otherwise.

MPs in the group are understood to therefore be concerned that ministers will have power without any checks or balances. They also fear it could be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The Tory caucus, which says it has more than 100 members, is said to be undecided about its final position, with a statement expected in the coming days to announce its position.

01:22 PM GMT

Veteran eurosceptic: Replacing Rishi would make us look 'completely ridiculous'

Replacing Rishi Sunak as leader would make the Conservative Party look “completely ridiculous”, a veteran Eurosceptic MP has said.

But Sir Edward Leigh signalled he is unhappy with the planned Rwanda legislation in its current form because he did not believe it would enable any deportation flights to take off before the next election.

“As regards Rishi’s future I’m totally opposed to any change of leader because it would make us look completely ridiculous,” Sir Edward said. “We’ve just got to get the bill right.”

He added: “The problem is if you allow people to go to the courts, what will happen is that the courts move incredibly slowly, there will be endless delays, appeals and it could be months, even nine months, before you get a final decision.

“I’m sure the bill is good enough to win through in the courts but the problem is there are just endless delays so there won’t be any flights to Rwanda before the next election.”

01:10 PM GMT

ERG: We want to stop the boats but law must be 'fit for purpose'

Mark Francois, the chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs, tells my colleague Ben Riley-Smith:

“We all agree with the Prime Minister that we need to stop the boats but the legislation to do this must be assuredly fit for purpose.

“To that end, I spoke with Sir Bill Cash this morning, who confirmed that his Star Chamber Team are already analysing the Rwanda Bill, in detail.

“This may still take a few days to complete but he was confident their findings will be available, at the very latest, prior to the Second Reading debate on Tuesday.”

12:56 PM GMT

Emotional Boris Johnson insists 'I do care' in defence of premiership

Boris Johnson has launched an emotional defence of his leadership during the Covid pandemic, saying it was “simply not right” to say he didn’t care about people’s suffering.

Having come close to losing his own life to Covid, Mr Johnson appeared close to tears as he told the Covid Inquiry he knew from experience “what an appalling disease this is”.

His voice faltered as he recalled his time in hospital in April 2020 and he appeared to be welling up as he addressed Hugo Keith KC, counsel to the Inquiry.

“You have gone particularly on WhatsApp exchanges and various things that I’m supposed to have said which indicated that I didn’t care,” he said. “I did care and I continue to care passionately about it.”

Jamie Bullen has live coverage here

12:34 PM GMT

Licence fee to rise by less than expected

The Culture Secretary has launched a review of how the BBC should be funded in the future as she confirmed the licence fee would rise by less than the past year’s average rate of inflation.

Lucy Frazer announced the annual cost of a TV licence from April 2024 will be £169.50, a rise of 6.7 per cent.

This will be cheaper than had the Government stuck to previous plans that would have seen by nine per cent in line with an annualised inflation figure.

12:31 PM GMT

Attorney General welcomes 'wonderful' news of new Solicitor General

12:22 PM GMT

Victoria Prentis: I want to be in my job for a long time to come

The Attorney General has insisted she feels “very comfortable” in her job as she was urged to publish legal advice on the emergency Rwanda law.

Victoria Prentis told the Commons: “I can’t give the details of the legal advice that I have been giving the Government - or whether or not I have been giving such advice - from this despatch box and that remains the case.

“I remain very comfortable in my role and I will hope that I remain in this role to give the Government legal advice for a long time to come.”

12:18 PM GMT

Russia accused of hacking senior politicians’ private conversations

Private conversations of high-profile politicians and civil servants have been compromised by Russia’s principal security service during “sustained” attempts to interfere in UK politics, a Foreign Office minister has said.

Leo Docherty issued a statement in the Commons in which he said a cyber influence campaign by a group known as Star Blizzard, “almost certainly” a subordinate of an FSB cyber unit, had “selectively leaked and amplified information” since 2015.

Mr Docherty said the group had conducted an exercise known as spear-phishing to steal information from a “significant” number of parliamentarians from multiple political parties.

MPs were told sanctions could be imposed on two members of Star Blizzard, including one who is understood to be an FSB intelligence officer.

Read the full story here

11:52 AM GMT

Migration question is no joke for Sunak

11:32 AM GMT

Lib Dems label Sunak a 'lame duck' Prime Minister

The Liberal Democrats have claimed Rishi Sunak has become a “lame duck” Prime Minister in the wake of his press conference about his Rwanda law.

Daisy Cooper, the party’s deputy leader, said: “This is desperate stuff from a lame-duck Prime Minister who has lost control of his party.

“Using a Downing Street press conference to try to persuade Conservative MPs to back his failed Rwanda plan is a new low.

“Rishi Sunak needs to call an election now so we can end this Conservative chaos and put this government out of its misery.”

11:20 AM GMT

Sunak denies his government is 'joke' or 'laughing stock'

Rishi Sunak insists his government are “doing what we’re saying we’re going to do”.

“It’s the British people who get to decide whether what we’ve said and what we’ve done has worked.”

Asked if his government is a “joke” and a “laughing stock” on immigration, Mr Sunak replies: “Look at the results. You’ve been over in Calais, well the number of people crossing from France to the UK this year is down by a third, right? That’s the simple truth.”

He added: “Actually, what we’re doing is making a difference. We’re disrupting criminal gangs upstream before they even get anywhere near Calais in the first place, we’re working more closely with the French... It’s in the British national interest to have that cooperation on these beaches to stop people coming, and that cooperation is working.”

He insists: “What we’re doing is working, it’s making a difference, but we’ve got to finish the job.

“I’m absolutely confident it’s the right approach, it’s the toughest ever approach... Going any further would mean that Rwanda will collapse the scheme and then we will have nowhere to send anyone to.”

11:16 AM GMT

Sunak: Jenrick is 'simply not right'

Rishi Sunak says Robert Jenrick is “simply not right” in his criticisms of the new Rwanda law.

“[He] outlined the remarkable progress we’ve made in this last year in his letter... Number of crossings down by a third. Doesn’t happen by accident because they’re up everywhere else in Europe. It’s happened because we’ve done a load of things, we’ve focused on this issue.”

Mr Sunak added: “That’s my record on delivery and what I say. I am entirely confident that what we’re doing is the right approach. I have spent weeks if not months in the last period getting this right, working through it with multiple lawyers, making sure we have something that is legally watertight and robust.”

The Prime Minister points to the ‘notwithstanding’ clause in the legislation which “makes clear that our Parliament is sovereign”.

“We have blocked each and every avenue that anyone has ever used in the past to frustrate their removal. All of those avenues have been shut down. So for the people to say something different, the difference between them and me is an inch, given everything we have closed... But that inch by the way is the difference between the Rwandans participating in this scheme and not.

“There’s no point having a piece of legislation that means we can’t actually send anyone anywhere. When we’re talking about an inch of difference... It’s pretty clear that what we’re doing is not only the right approach, it’s the only approach. I’m determined to fix this problem and the people who want to do something different clearly don’t.”

11:13 AM GMT

Rishi Sunak: Commons votes will be a question for Labour, not me

Rishi Sunak insists deterrence is a “critical part” of stopping the boats.

“This is our deterrent and we are getting everything we can to get it on the statute books... The question for votes in Parliament is what is the Labour Party’s plan, and are they going to back this legislation?”

Challenged on having “lost control of his party”, and asked if he will call an election if he loses these votes, Mr Sunak replies: “What’s happening here is we’re delivering on what I said.”

He notes small boats arrivals had quadrupled in the years before he entered No10, and repeats that crossings are now down by a third.

“I want to finish the job and finishing the job means getting this legislation on the statute books and getting this legislation up and running. I’m determined to see this through... I’m not interested in talking, I’m interested in doing things.”

He adds: “I’m confident I can get this thing done. The question is for the Labour Party... So the question is not for me, I’ve got a plan. It’s very clear that I’ve got a plan... The question is for everyone else and crucially the Labour Party, what’s their plan?”

11:09 AM GMT

Rishi Sunak: We must have a deterrent

Asked if he is saying to his MPs “back me or sack me”, Rishi Sunak replies: “What I’m saying not just to my MPs but the entire country is I share their frustration. My patience with this has worn thin.”

He points to one of his five priorities for the year being ‘stop the boats’.

“We’ve got more to do and that is why this legislation is so important. We’ve got to end the legal merry-go-round that has stopped us from getting our Rwanda scheme up and running.”

He adds: “There should be no more blocks... We must have a deterrent that says if you come here illegally, you cannot stay here and will be removed.

“I am absolutely committed to seeing this through... It’s patently unfair what is happening at the moment, which is why it requires action like this which is novel, which is contentious, but that’s what we’re about, getting stuff done on the things that matter.”

11:08 AM GMT

We will finally stop the boats, vows Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak points to Albanian arrivals falling by 90 per cent under the returns scheme reached with the UK last year.

Mr Sunak says: “We will get flights off the ground, we will deter illegal migrants from coming here and we will finally stop the boats.”

11:07 AM GMT

Rishi Sunak: If we go any further, the entire scheme will collapse

Rishi Sunak says the new law will stop people taking perilous journeys across the Channel.

“This Bill gives Parliament the chance to put Rwanda’s safety beyond question in the eyes of this country’s law.”

Mr Sunak insists: “As the Rwandans themselves have made clear, if we go any further, the entire scheme will collapse and there is no point having a scheme with nowhere to send people to.”

He says it will be “vanishingly rare” for people to be able to stay in the UK after their arrival under the new scheme.

The Prime Minister adds: “I will not allow a foreign court to block these flights. If the Strasbourg court chooses to intervene against the express wishes of our sovereign Parliament, I will do what is necessary to get flights off. And today’s laws already make clear that the decision to comply with interim measures issued by the European Court are for British ministers alone.

“Now of course our Rwanda policy is just one part of our wider strategy to stop the boats and that strategy is working. I’ve been Prime Minister for just over a year now and for the first time small boat arrivals here are down by a third, even as illegal crossings in the Mediterranean have soared by 80 per cent.”

11:03 AM GMT

Sunak: I know Rwanda law will upset some people

Rishi Sunak says the Government has introduced “the toughest anti-immigration law ever”.

“I know that it will upset some people and you will hear a lot of criticism about it, so it’s right to explain why I have decided to do this.”

Mr Sunak notes he is the child of immigrants, and hails the UK as an “incredible country” where most people are “really proud to become British” on their arrival.

“Illegal immigration undermines not just our border control, it undermines the very sense of fairness that is so central to our national character. We play by the rules, we put in our fair share, we wait our turn. That some people can just cut all of that out, you’ve not just lost control of your borders, you’ve fatally undermined the very fairness and trust on which our system is based.”

10:58 AM GMT

Time for talk on tackling illegal immigration is over, Suella Braverman says

The “time for talk” on tackling illegal immigration is over, Suella Braverman said, as she warned that Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy is doomed to fail.

The former home secretary, who the Prime Minister sacked last month, said the Rwanda Bill published on Wednesday did not go far enough and would not stop the boats unless it was toughened up.

She called for changes to the Bill that would prevent any claims by individual migrants under domestic and international laws including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The draft Bill compels judges to treat Rwanda as a safe country after the Supreme Court ruled the scheme was unlawful over risks to refugees. The legislation, which must be voted on by Parliament, gives ministers the powers to disregard sections of the Human Rights Act.

Charles Hymas, the Home Affairs Editor, has the story

10:46 AM GMT

Who is the new illegal immigration minister?

Michael Tomlinson, who up until now has been Rishi Sunak’s Solicitor General, became the illegal immigration minister this morning.

Mr Tomlinson, the MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, was a deputy chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) caucus of Tory Brexiteers on the backbenchers during the Brexit battles.

He is also a former barrister, and sat as part of a legal ‘star chamber’ set up by the ERG to scrutinise Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement.

10:41 AM GMT

Robert Courts appointment leaves defence committee vacancy

Robert Courts becoming the new Solicitor General means a vacancy will be created as chairman of the defence select committee.

Mr Courts was elected to the post 43 days ago.

10:32 AM GMT

Breaking: New immigration ministers announced

Two new immigration ministers have been appointed by Rishi Sunak in the last few moments.

Michael Tomlinson has been appointed as the minister for illegal migration, and Tom Pursglove as the minister for legal migration and delivery.

Mr Tomlinson will attend Cabinet. Robert Courts has been appointed as the Solicitor General.

10:19 AM GMT

Have your say: Was Jenrick right to quit?

10:02 AM GMT

Breaking: Rishi Sunak to hold a press conference at 11am

Rishi Sunak will hold a press conference at 11am, Downing Street has confirmed.

You will be able to watch live at the top of this blog

09:45 AM GMT

Robert Jenrick’s resignation over Rwanda ‘deeply worrying’

The resignation of Robert Jenrick over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill is “deeply worrying”, Conservative MPs have warned amid concerns about the direction of the Government.

Mr Jenrick quit as immigration minister on Wednesday as he warned emergency legislation to secure asylum deportation flights represents a “triumph of hope over experience”.

In response, Mr Sunak accused his former Cabinet colleague – who was once one of his closest political allies – of misunderstanding the new law.

Mr Jenrick’s dramatic departure has plunged the Prime Minister into a fresh crisis over migration, with some on the Tory Right expressing their concerns about the fact the minister with responsibility for helping to deliver on the new measures had instead opted to quit.

Read the full story here

09:34 AM GMT

Tory MP: Rwanda row 'ripping our party in half'

The row over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan is “ripping our party in half”, a former Conservative minister has said.

Tobias Ellwood, who said he will not support the bill tabled by the Government if there is “any prospect” of it breaching treaties including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), told Times Radio: “I’m very sorry to see where the party now finds itself after the turmoil of the last couple of years.”

He added: “Rwanda has become almost totemic, if you like, that hill that we have to die on... It’s really become totemic, a single utopian objective that we have to hang our hat on and defining us in the next general election.

“In practice, as we’re seeing, this is proving costly. It’s legally challenging, and it is ripping our party in half, exposing ideological differences that normally our broad church can actually manage. And I have to say that if this infighting continues, it will not just cost us the next general election, it will see our party splinter into two between the centre-Right and the far-Right, between the light blue and the dark blue.”

09:20 AM GMT

Read Robert Jenrick’s resignation letter in full

Rishi Sunak has been rocked by the resignation of his immigration minister after rejecting demands to opt out of European human rights laws to revive the Rwanda policy.

Robert Jenrick told the Prime Minister on Wednesday that his new draft legislation aimed at stopping small boat crossings “does not go far enough” and is a “triumph of hope over experience”.

Mr Sunak’s long-term political ally argued that he had to quit because he had “such strong disagreements” with the Government’s approach to immigration.

You can read his resignation letter in full here

09:00 AM GMT

Robert Jenrick would not have misunderstood anything, insists ally

Dame Andrea Jenkyns, a former private secretary to Robert Jenrick, has defended the now-former immigration minister against criticisms made by Rishi Sunak.

The Prime Minister had described Mr Jenrick’s resignation on Wednesday night as “disappointing” and “based on a fundamnetal misunderstanding of the situation”.

Dame Andrea, the first MP to go public with a letter of no confidence in Mr Sunak, told GB News: “I was Robert [Jenrick’s] PPS during the days of lockdown when he was the Housing Secretary. I saw how strong he could be against the Civil Service and he’s a very smart guy. He would not have misunderstood anything.

“I think this whole policy is just kicking the can down the road and I will defer to the Star Chamber, the group of lawyers who will be looking over this.”

The ‘Star Chamber’ referred to by Dame Andrea is made up of legal experts and chaired by Sir Bill Cash, the veteran senior Brexiteer and Tory MP for Stone.

It has reconvened to examine Mr Sunak’s proposals and will deliver its verdict on the Rwanda law in “days not weeks”, having previously examined the UK-EU trade deal struck by Boris Johnson and the Withdrawal Agreement reached by Theresa May.

08:48 AM GMT

Braverman: I'm sorry if my straight talk upsets 'polite society'

Suella Braverman rejected suggestions by the BBC’s Nick Robinson that she is a “headline-grabber” who “does it by spreading poison even within your own party”.

Mrs Braverman told the Today programme host: “The truth is when I served as Home Secretary I sought to be honest. Honest to the British people, honest for the British people.

“And sometimes honesty is uncomfortable. But I’m not going to shy away from plain speaking. And if that upsets polite society I’m sorry about that but we need to be clear-eyed, we need to be honest about the situation right now. We cannot keep failing the British people.

“We have now run out of time, this is an issue of huge importance to the majority of British people who desperately want us to fix it.”

08:38 AM GMT

Jenrick resignation not 'as big a story as is being made', claims minister

The resignation of Rishi Sunak’s immigration minister over his Rwanda Bill has been blown out of proportion, a Cabinet minister has claimed.

Chris Heaton-Harris told LBC Radio: “I don’t think it’s as a big a story as is being made.

He added: “I don’t like anybody resigning from my party, but when I was Boris Johnson’s chief whip... Pretty much everyone did.

“Maybe I have a scale of proportion that others don’t have.”

08:30 AM GMT

'I want this Prime Minister to fulfil his promise'

Suella Braverman insisted she wants Rishi Sunak to “succeed” in getting a grip of illegal migration despite her previous stinging criticisms of Mr Sunak and his record.

“I want the Prime Minister to succeed on his pledge to stop the boats,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“The reality is that we are all conservatives. I want this Prime Minister to fulfil this promise that he made to stop the boats.

“He said he would do take whatever it takes. It is his choice as to what he does and I am urging him to take up the advice and the feedback that colleagues who are well intentioned and want us all to win so he can actually fulfil the promise to the British people.”

08:28 AM GMT

Rishi Sunak must 'change course' on Rwanda, urges Suella Braverman

Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, has said Rishi Sunak must “change course” on his new Rwanda scheme.

Mrs Braverman, who was sacked by Mr Sunak last month, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the legislation unveiled in the Commons yesterday “will fail”.

“I very much hope that the Prime Minister changes course. I very much hope that he takes on course the kind of observations that people are making about the content of this bill.

“There is still time to change this bill, it is going to go through parliament and scrutiny. I very much urge him to encourage a receptive attitude to some of the changes that people are suggesting.”

She added: “Ultimately this bill will fail. I’m just being honest about where we are. We’ve put two acts of parliament through already. We’ve done huge amounts of work to stop this problem and it’s not worked. We cannot afford to put forward another bill that is destined to fail.”

08:18 AM GMT

Breaking: Rishi Sunak's Rwanda law 'won't work', says Suella Braverman

Mrs Braverman, the former home secretary, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

08:06 AM GMT

What Suella Braverman had to say yesterday

07:53 AM GMT

Suella says...

While Chris Heaton-Harris is on the broadcast round for the Government this morning, he will not be appearing in the normal 8:10am interview slot on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Appearing in his place? None other than Suella Braverman, who was Rishi Sunak’s home secretary until he sacked her last month.

Mrs Braverman warned yesterday that the Tories are heading for “electoral oblivion in a matter of months” if more legislation is introduced that is “destined to fail”.

07:48 AM GMT

Shadow health secretary: Tories have 'lost the plot'

07:45 AM GMT

'I honestly do not know the answer to that question'

Asked whether it is possible that the UK could end up receiving refugees from Rwanda before anyone is deported to the central African state, Chris Heaton-Harris said: “I honestly do not know the answer to that question.”

Pressed by BBC Breakfast on whether that scenario was “possible”, he replied: “No, I said I don’t know the answer to that question.”

And asked a third time to confirm that it’s “not a no”, Mr Heaton-Harris said: “I don’t know the answer. Forgive me for being honest and saying I don’t know the answer... I honestly can’t give you an honest answer.”

07:34 AM GMT

'Vanishingly small' odds of avoiding Rwanda deportation, says minister

Asked why Robert Jenrick refused to back and resigned over Rishi Sunak’s new Rwanda legislation, Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland Secretary, noted Rishi Sunak’s claim Mr Jenrick had been helping to deliver “the strongest package of measures ever”.

“The bill will pass because the Conservative parliamentary party wants to stop the boats,” Mr Heaton-Harris told Sky News.

“The question is does this bill go far enough. It does, because it does make almost vanishingly small the ability for individuals to take legal action to have them removed from flights.”

Pressed on the fact there will still be an appeals process, he replied: “You’ve got to have some rights for people who... I don’t know, maybe they have been misidentified or whatever.”

07:32 AM GMT

Rwanda law 'not dead on arrival'

Rishi Sunak’s new Rwanda law is “not dead on arrival”, Chris Heaton-Harris has insisted.

Mr Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland Secretary, told Sky News: “It is going to work and no, it is not dead on arrival, not in the slightest. This is actually the strongest piece of anti-illegal migration legislation this country has ever had.

“The premise is that everybody in politics I think, although I’m not sure about the Labour Party to be fair, wants to stop the boats.

“We had a Supreme Court judgment against us and we’ve now got a bill that deals with the issues that the Supreme Court ruling had and a treaty with Rwanda that also does that. So this is part of a package that will eventually stop the boats.

“This is a piece of legislation that I truly believe will work.”

07:24 AM GMT

Chris Heaton-Harris: We cannot go against international obligations

The Northern Ireland Secretary dismissed calls from the Tory Right to “go a lot further” in emergency legislation aimed at making the Rwanda policy a success.

Asked by GB News about Rishi Sunak having “no authority left”, Mr Heaton-Harris replied: “I’m afraid I have to completely disagree with you.

“One thing that is absolutely true is that everybody in the Conservative parliamentary party do want to stop the boats. Now there are some who say we need to go a lot further.

“But that really does… Even as the Prime Minister pointed out in his reply to Robert Jenrick, when we start to go against those international obligations, the Rwandans would pull out of this agreement and we wouldn’t have anywhere to return these people to.”

07:22 AM GMT

Boris Johnson returns to Covid Inquiry

Boris Johnson has once again shown up at the Covid Inquiry almost three hours before he is set to give evidence in order to avoid being greeted by bereaved protesters.

The former prime minister, who arrived wearing a Grimsby Town Football Club bobble hat, yesterday apologised for calling long Covid “bol-----” and admitted both his government and the “Whitehall mind” were unprepared for the scale and nature of the pandemic.

07:16 AM GMT

Sir John Redwood: This law must do what has been promised

Sir John, the Tory MP for Wokingham who was the head of Margaret Thatcher’s No 10 policy unit, said:

07:10 AM GMT

'He was an excellent minister and I'm really sad he's gone'

It is a “great shame” that Robert Jenrick has quit as immigration minister, one of his now-former colleagues in the Cabinet has said.

Chris Heaton-Harris told GB News: “I actually think it’s a great shame that Robert has chosen to resign because he was in the process of delivering the toughest illegal migration policies that this country has ever seen.

“My party believes that we need to stop the boats. We have tried a whole load of legislative attempts so far, the Supreme Court ruled against elements of those, and we now have a treaty with Rwanda which says essentially that the country is safe.

“We now have a bill to go through Parliament which talks about how we can remove people to Rwanda, that some of the issues we’ve had that took people off the flight to Rwanda have been solved by this legislation. And indeed we’re moving on making sure that the numbers of those who come to this country are reduced as well.

“We have got a complete package of legislation that Robert has been helping to design over the course of time. He was an excellent minister and I’m really sad he’s gone.”

07:07 AM GMT

Allister Heath: It’s over for this Conservative Party

There is a reason why Rishi Sunak’s last-ditch immigration proposals turned out to be a defanged, neutered variant of the policies advocated by Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, who rightly resigned in protest, writes Allister Heath.

The Tory Left-wing caucus is too large, too petulant, too intent on political hara-kiri: it was prepared to veto any genuinely novel thinking.

Even the modest reforms that Sunak actually agreed to may turn out to be too much for the One Nation caucus, despite the cautious welcome it gave the plans last night. Left-wing Tory MPs are convinced that they have the moral high ground, and are ready to gang up with Labour and damn the electoral consequences.

Jenrick, who put principles before power, is a considered, thoughtful politician convinced that Sunak’s plan won’t deliver what Tory voters are rightly demanding. This is why the Government may well be doomed.

Allister Heath: Too many Tory MPs hate their own voters

07:00 AM GMT

'I don't see much prospect of this Government recovering'

Rishi Sunak risks presiding over a “zombie government” in the wake of Robert Jenrick’s exit, a former attorney general has said.

Dominic Grieve told BBC Newsnight: “We’re facing something approaching a zombie government at the moment… I don’t see much prospect of this Government recovering. It has, I’m afraid, been wrecked by Boris Johnson, that is where the destruction came from and it’s been impossible to put it back together again.

“But the idea that replacing Rishi Sunak with a new prime minister is going to save the Conservative Party from the destruction that I think is coming towards it is a complete fantasy.”

Insisting the current divisions in Tory ranks are worse than they were over Brexit, he added: “The reality is it is now split ideologically over a way I haven’t seen before.”

06:55 AM GMT

Robert Jenrick: From Rishi Sunak’s faithful lieutenant to resignation

Robert Jenrick was the sensible moderate placed in the Home Office by Rishi Sunak to temper the Right-wing tendencies of Suella Braverman, wrirtes Daniel Martin, The Telegraph’s Deputy Political Editor.

The Prime Minister and the now former immigration minister had been close compatriots for years – having worked together in 2019 along with Oliver Dowden to swing the Tory leadership battle in Boris Johnson’s favour.

Mr Jenrick went on to support Mr Sunak twice in his bid to be Conservative leader. They seemed to be on entirely the same page politically.

But instead, Mr Jenrick surprised his mentor by becoming just as hardline on immigration as the woman under whom he served.

At the Home Office, the mild-mannered minister became more and more convinced that major reforms to human rights legislation were needed to stop the small boats.

Profile: How Jenrick became just as hardline as Braverman on immigration

06:53 AM GMT

Sunak blocking 'will of the people', Tory MP suggests

A Tory member of the home affairs committee has appeared to accuse Rishi Sunak of blocking the “will of the British people” over illegal immigration.

Adam Holloway, who served as a government whip under Liz Truss, told Times Radio that he would “completely agree” with Suella Braverman, the home secretary, that the Conservatives face “electoral oblivion” unless they can tackle illegal migration.

“You know, the people who provide that oblivion, and I understand why they would do it, should think very carefully, too about what they wish for.

“Because do we honestly think that Labour would be any better? I mean, it’s a council of despair, actually. What on earth are we doing?”

He added: “[If] you feel you have to resign because the Government and the civil servants don’t seem to agree with you, or your view on what needs to be done in order to exert the will of the British people… It’s pretty worrying, isn’t it?”

06:50 AM GMT

Good morning

Dominic Penna here, The Telegraph’s Political Correspondent, guiding you through what will no doubt be another eventful day in Westminster.

SW1 was left shocked last night by the resignation of Robert Jenrick as immigration minister almost immediately after James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, unveiled a new law he hopes will end delays to the Government’s Rwanda deportation scheme.

In his resignation statement, Mr Jenrick said: “I cannot continue in my position when I have such strong disagreements with the direction of the Government’s policy on immigration.”

His departure is significant because he has been a long standing political ally of Mr Sunak. Perceived as a Tory moderate, his appointment to the Home Office last year was seen a foil to Suella Braverman, the then home secretary.

Yet Mr Jenrick has now condemned what he believes is a “triumph of hope over experience”. Little wonder, then, that unease is growing among Conservative backbenchers. I will be bringing you all the latest throughout today.

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