Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith resign over Rwanda Bill

Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith quit as deputy chairmen of the Conservative Party over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill as 60 Tory MPs rebelled.

Mr Anderson and Mr Clarke-Smith, both Red Wall MPs elected as part of Boris Johnson’s 2019 landslide, left their positions on Tuesday night to support amendments aimed at toughening Mr Sunak’s proposals.

In a joint resignation letter to the Prime Minister, they said: “We have already had two pieces of legislation thwarted by a system that does not work in favour of the British people.

“It is for this reason that we have supported the amendments to the Rwanda bill. This is not because we are against the legislation, but because like everybody else we want it to work.”

On Tuesday evening, Jane Stevenson, who was a ministerial aide to Kemi Badenoch, also quit a payroll position after backing two rebel amendments.

Sixty Tory MPs defied Mr Sunak to back an amendment by Sir Bill Cash to add a “notwithstanding clause” to the bill. This would have directed British courts to ignore ECHR rulings in specific cases.

Other rebels included Jane Stevenson, a ministerial aide to Kemi Badenoch who now also faces the sack, as well as former prime minister Liz Truss and former home secretary Suella Braverman.

You can join the conversation in the comments section here.

08:03 PM GMT

That's all for today...

Thank you for joining The Telegraph’s coverage of a dramatic day in Westminster as Rishi Sunak suffered the biggest rebellion of his premiership over the Rwanda Bill.

Two deputy Conservative Party chairmen and a ministerial aide resigned their positions as 60 Tory MPs supported amendments aimed at toughening up the legislation.

The crucial test for the Prime Minister now comes tomorrow night after another day of debate.

My colleague Jack Maidment will be back early tomorrow to guide you through the day.

07:54 PM GMT

Rees-Mogg: 'Courteous' and 'intelligent' Sunak is not damaged goods

Tonight’s rebellion has not damaged Rishi Sunak’s authority, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has said.

Sir Jacob, a former Commons leader and business secretary, told the PA news agency: “All party leaders have to deal with that in their own way and Rishi Sunak does that in a courteous and intelligent way.”

Asked whether the Rwanda vote had damaged the Prime Minister’s position as leader, Sir Jacob said: “Not this particular discussion, no.”

07:44 PM GMT

Lee Anderson: I 'fundamentally disagree' with Rwanda Bill

Lee Anderson said he could not have continued as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party when he “fundamentally disagrees” with the Bill, writes Charles Hymas, our Home Affairs Editor.

“I cannot be in a position voting for something that I don’t believe in,” Mr Anderson told GB News.

“The small boats will keep coming. I want to see a situation where anybody who arrives illegally in this country has no right at all to claim asylum, no right to appeal and more importantly no right to go missing and disappear into the country.

“This Bill could work but it needs strengthening up and that’s why I backed the amendments and ultimately resigned.”

07:40 PM GMT

Yvette Cooper accuses Tories of 'total chaos' over Rwanda

This from Labour’s shadow home secretary just now:

07:35 PM GMT

'Twenty-four hours is a long time in politics'

Miriam Cates, the co-chairman of the New Conservatives, said she was “prepared” to vote down the Rwanda Bill at third reading tomorrow.

Asked if she would oppose the legislation entirely, Ms Cates told Sky News: “Well I am prepared to, but I can only speak for myself. Twenty-four hours is a long time in politics.

“I am prepared to consider doing that in principle, but as I’m sure you’ll appreciate we’ve got a whole day of debating tomorrow... We’re just not in a position to say yet what the Bill will look like this time tomorrow.”

07:31 PM GMT

'The numbers speak for themselves'

This from our Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas:

07:29 PM GMT

Labour: Rishi Sunak too weak to lead party and country

Pat McFadden, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, has taken aim at Rishi Sunak in the wake of the resignations of Brendan Clarke-Smith and Lee Anderson as deputy Tory chairmen.

“Rishi Sunak is too weak to lead his party and too weak to lead the country,” Mr McFadden said.

“These resignations show that even senior Tories think that the Conservatives have failed and is yet more evidence of the total Tory chaos over their failing Rwanda gimmick - yet they are still making the taxpayer pay the extortionate price.

“After 14 years of Tory failure it is time for a change and the general election can’t come soon enough. Labour would crack down on the criminal smuggling gangs, reverse the collapse in returns with a new returns unit, and end hotel use which is costing the taxpayer billions.”

07:28 PM GMT

'High watermark' of rebellion reached, says One Nation chairman

The “high watermark” of the Tory rebellion over Rwanda has been reached, the chairman of the One Nation caucus of Tory MPs has claimed.

Damian Green told Sky News: “There were a number of people who voted for one of the amendments knowing that they were going to be defeated but who will row back behind the Government on third reading tomorrow, which is the vote that really matters, so I think that we’ve seen the high watermark of this rebellion.

“Most of my colleagues, I’m sure all of my colleagues, are rational in their way, but most of my colleagues are rational and will vote for a bill that moves the dial in the direction in which they want it moved.”

Mr Green said his parliamentary colleagues could “vote the way they want” but the world would “look a different place in 24 hours’ time”.

07:19 PM GMT

Danny Kruger: I am prepared to vote down Rwanda Bill

Tory MP Danny Kruger has said that he is “prepared” to vote against the Rwanda Bill tomorrow, writes Genevieve Holl-Allen, The Telegraph’s Political Reporter.

07:14 PM GMT

Breaking: Jane Stevenson quits government over Rwanda

Jane Stevenson has quit as Kemi Badenoch’s parliamentary private secretary (PPS) after rebelling over Rwanda.

Ms Stevenson becomes the third person to quit a Government position in the space of two hours after Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith resigned.

06:57 PM GMT

Take stock of Tory rebellion, Rishi Sunak warned

A leading Tory rebel has warned ministers they must “take stock” of the scale of tonight’s Tory rebellion ahead of a vote on the Rwanda Bill as a whole tomorrow.

Mark Francois, a former armed forces minister, said “the numbers speak for themselves” when asked by Sky News if he would vote against the Prime Minister’s flagship legislation.

“I hope very much that the Government will listen and as a result of this, that the Government will listen and take stock and that perhaps there will be some possibility of tightening the Bill tomorrow,” he said.

06:51 PM GMT

Nigel Farage: The Tories have failed us totally

The former Ukip leader and MEP says:

06:49 PM GMT

Every rebel Tory MP who backed Amendment 10

06:42 PM GMT

Breaking: 58 Tory MPs rebel on second amendment

Fifty-eight Tory MPs separately rebelled to back Amendment 19, which was also aimed at toughening Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill.

06:39 PM GMT

Reform UK invites Clarke-Smith and Anderson to defect

Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, has invited Brendan Clarke-Smith and Lee Anderson to join his insurgent Right-wing party.

“I can confirm that Lee and Brendan would both pass our strict vetting process,” Mr Tice told GB News.

However, Mr Tice and Mr Anderson have clashed in the past over the latter’s claim he was offered “a lot of money” to defect, which was subsequently denied by Mr Tice.

06:29 PM GMT

Prominent Tories who rebelled against Sunak by backing Amendment 10

• Danny Kruger and Miriam Cates - co-chairmen of the New Conservatives

• David Jones - former cabinet minister

• Liz Truss - former prime minister

• Robert Jenrick - former immigration minister

• Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg - former business secretary

• Suella Braverman - former home secretary

06:24 PM GMT

Breaking: 60 Tories rebel against Sunak over Rwanda

Sixty Conservative MPs backed Sir Bill Cash’s amendment - including Jane Stevenson, a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Kemi Badenoch.

In line with the departures of Brendan Clarke-Smith and Lee Anderson, it looks as though Ms Stevenson will now be sacked.

06:11 PM GMT

Breaking: Amendment 10 rejected by Commons

Sixty-eight MPs voted in favour of Amendment 10 (see 6.11pm), while 529 voted against it.

06:11 PM GMT

MPs vote on 'notwithstanding clause'

MPs are voting on amendment 10, which was tabled by Sir Bill Cash, a veteran Brexiteer, to add a “notwithstanding clause” to the bill.

This would direct British courts to ignore ECHR rulings in specific cases, such as when an illegal migrant requests to remain in the UK to preserve their right to family life.

06:06 PM GMT

'How can he be expected to run the country?'

Rishi Sunak has been “embarrassed” by his own Tory MPs, the Liberal Democrats have said.

Alistair Carmichael, the party’s home affairs spokesman, said: “Sunak’s Rwanda scheme just won’t work - and even the deputy chairmen of his own party know it.

“Rishi Sunak has yet again been embarrassed by his own MPs.

“If the Prime Minister can’t even settle squabbles in his own party, how can he be expected to run the country?”

06:03 PM GMT

In full: Brendan Clarke-Smith and Lee Anderson's joint resignation letter

06:02 PM GMT

Analysis: A major blow to Rishi Sunak

Lee Anderson is known as the ‘Red Wall Rottweiler’ and has been used by the Conservative Party since his appointment as deputy chairman in an attempt to connect with voters in former Labour heartlands.

Mr Anderson, a former miner who defected from Labour to the Conservatives as a councillor, became the MP for Ashfield in 2019. As recently as this week he was seen in a Tory HQ video laughing along with Rishi Sunak.

All that changes tonight as Mr Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, an MP for the nearby constituency of Bassetlaw in the East Midlands, which is also a Red Wall seat, quit their positions to rebel against Rishi Sunak on Rwanda.

Both men have said that getting a grip of illegal migration will be key to Tory hopes of winning the next election. Their actions tonight suggest they simply do not think Mr Sunak’s proposals pass muster.

05:58 PM GMT

Breaking: Two Tory deputy chairmen quit

Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith have quit as deputy chairmen of the Conservative Party over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill.

05:53 PM GMT

Commons rejects SNP Rwanda amendment

The SNP’s amendment to Rishi Sunak’s Safety of Rwanda Bill has been roundly rejected by the Commons this evening.

There were 66 Ayes and 337 Noes, meaning it was voted down with a majority of 271.

05:51 PM GMT

Tory rebel: 'Politically damaging' to sack Lee Anderson

A  Tory rebel source said it would be “politically damaging” if Rishi Sunak sacked Lee Anderson, writes Charles Hymas, our Home Affairs Editor.

“It would be deeply unfortunate, sad and politically unhelpful for the Government to lose one of its most prominent and visible representatives of the red wall, especially over an issue as important as migration, and especially in the aftermath of the Telegraph poll,” he said.

The public backs a toughening of the Government’s Rwanda plan for illegal migrants, according to a YouGov poll reported by The Telegraph last night.

05:49 PM GMT

MPs voting on Amendment 45

MPs are now voting on Amendment 45, an SNP amendment which would require the Government to monitor on an ongoing basis whether Rwanda was a safe country.

05:38 PM GMT

Breaking: Three senior Tories including Lee Anderson facing the sack

Three senior Conservative Party figures face the sack if they defy Rishi Sunak tonight and back rebel amendments to his Rwanda Bill.

Lee Anderson, Brendan Clarke-Smith and Jane Stevenson could all be out of their jobs by this evening as MPs vote on amendments aimed at toughening up the legislation prior to a second session of debate and further votes tomorrow.

Sources close to Simon Hart, the Government’s Chief Whip, said he had “made clear” that anyone on the payroll who defied Mr Sunak would face the sack.

Ms Stevenson told the Commons that Mr Sunak “should get a move on” with tackling illegal migration and urged him to play a greater part in shaping policy on the world stage.

Mr Anderson and Mr Clarke-Smith both said on Monday night they would support the amendments, and so their positions will become untenable if they do so.

05:26 PM GMT

Why Tory talk is turning – again – to a change of leadership

Rumours that Boris Johnson has submitted a bid for a £30,000 replica of No 10’s famous front door are unlikely to surprise those who remember the former prime minister comparing himself to Cincinnatus, that resurgent Roman, in his resignation speech, writes Camilla Tominey, The Telegraph’s Associate Editor.

Camilla Tominey: How whispers about the future have resurfaced in Westminster

05:22 PM GMT

Illegal migration minister: There are enough specific provisions in Rwanda Bill

Michael Tomlinson, the illegal migration minister, said the terms of the Rwanda treaty “addresses the finding of our domestic courts” and made “specific provisions” to guarantee the safety of individuals who will be relocated.

He said Labour was “so divided” on deportations that it could not agree internally about whether India or Georgia were safe countries.

05:13 PM GMT

Illegal migration minister: We must finish the job

Speaking to wind up the debate, Michael Tomlinson said it was important to have had a “robust discussion about this wide-ranging issue”.

The minister for countering illegal migration said: “Let there be no doubt that the Government is focused and determined to stop the boats. We have made progress, but we must be enabled to finish the job.”

Mr Tomlinson said the court system would not “disregard” parliamentary sovereignty once the bill has been passed.

“There has been further evidence and assurances from the government of Rwanda that specifically addresses the challenges raised by the claimants and the UNHCR in the litigation, and also the Supreme Court following its judgment in November.”

He noted Rwanda had been ranked 12th in the world for gender parity, and the UK placed in 15th.

04:47 PM GMT

Kemi Badenoch's parliamentary private secretary to back amendments

Jane Stevenson, Kemi Badenoch’s parliamentary private secretary (PPS), said the responsibility of MPs was to “look forward”.

“The Rwanda Bill I do think will be a deterrent, I do think if it succeeds it will put people off making those perilous journeys and breaking this evil, perverse model of people smuggling. But I think we do need to look at the bigger, wider framework as well.”

Ms Stevenson suggested post-war asylum and refugee laws were in need of being overhauled.

“I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to deal with [this]... If we don’t fix this problem now the boats will keep coming and more lives will be lost at sea.”

She added: “[Rishi Sunak] should get a move on with this, he should be leading that global conversation, it is one that so many countries are ready to have... They accept the mathematical reality, the social reality, and what our constituents want. I want to thank all colleagues who are trying to strengthen this bill. I want it to be as robust as it possibly can be, because we need it to be fit for the crisis that we face.

“It is a crisis and my constituents certainly want to see results on this crisis. So I will support these amendments, and I also want to put on record my whole-hearted thanks to the Prime Minister for his determination to sort this out.”

04:41 PM GMT

Badenoch's PPS: We cannot have a bill that allows lawyers to bat cases around

Jane Stevenson, the parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Kemi Badenoch, the Business Secretary, told the Commons: “All of us are united in wanting a bill that works... I absolutely trust the Prime Minister’s commitment to ensuring we can stop the boats.

“I believe that the Rwanda policy can be a deterrent to people. I am grateful to those learning colleagues for putting forward their opinions. If it has shown me anything, it is that lawyers like to talk and argue.

“What we cannot have is a Bill that goes forward and passes that enables lawyers to bat cases around indefinitely, to allow appeals to be lodged, to be enough to make this policy ineffective.

“Because my constituents, they just find it ludicrous that they elect members to come to this place and to act in their interests and we don’t seem to be able to do it. This issue is raised with me I think more than any other on the doorsteps, the small boats trade is an evil practice on so many levels.”

04:37 PM GMT

Sir Simon Clarke: Rwanda Bill will have failed by general election

Sir Simon Clarke said the patience of the public with illegal migration would soon be “exhausted”.

“We have marched the British public up this hill not once but twice and failed both times. This is our third attempt.

“And of course the Government’s own estimate as we know is that as we stand today, the bill’s best chance can be rated at around 50/50. That is simply not adequate.”

He added: “The Prime Minister has said he will do ‘whatever it takes’. Unfortunately, as of this moment, I do not believe, as of this moment, we are set to do whatever it takes to stop this problem.

“And I can only vote for this legislation if I believe genuinely and sincerely that it will resolve the problem, if I can look my constituents, the people who send me here, in the eye and say ‘this is going to fix it’. Because I’ve already done so twice before and I have let them down.

“So I urge my colleagues to reflect carefully on this. The Prime Minister has concerned the general election is likely to be held in the latter half of this year. By that time, there will have, I’m afraid, been a contact between this Bill and the reality of our court system and I don’t think the outcome will be a pretty one. There will be time for it to have been tested and I fear there will be time for it to fail.

“In the absence of amendments being brought forward and supported by the Government, I will not be able to support this Bill - more than that, I will vote against it at third reading... We as a Conservative Party should show we are honest with the British people about the nature of the crisis we face... Short of that, as I say, this legislation cannot have my support.”

04:30 PM GMT

Sir Simon Clarke: There is a 'crisis of faith' in our politics

Sir Simon Clarke, who has vowed to vote against the Rwanda Bill if it is not amended, said Robert Jenrick had shown both “political and personal courage” in tabling his amendments.

Insisting he is supportive of the deportation scheme, Sir Simon told the Commons: “It is imperative that we break the business model of the people smugglers in a way that means that this trade is not merely dented, but ceases.”

However, he said the key question was “will this legislation work?”, adding: “There is a crisis of faith in our politics and that really boils down to, as it has done for a number of years now spanning the Brexit debate and indeed the causes of it, do we as Members of Parliament mean what we say? Is our word worth anything?

“Are we capable as a country of asserting our national sovereignty? Are we as a country capable of policing our borders? Now I welcome the fact that the Government has decided that we now need to derogate from parts of the Human Rights Act 1998... but we now need to follow that logic to its conclusion.”

04:18 PM GMT

Labour: Sunak's Rwanda Bill is a 'sham'

Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill is a “sham”, Labour’s shadow immigration minister has said ahead of crucial votes on proposed changes to the law put forward by Tory rebels.

Challenged on his party’s stance by Robert Jenrick, a former Conservative immigration minister, Stephen Kinnock said the official opposition “absolutely agree” with the Supreme Court that asylum seekers should not be sent to Rwanda.

“The legislation before us is a sham, but in the interests of damage limitation I urge members to get behind Labour’s amendments today,” Mr Kinnock said.

It came after Mr Jenrick, who quit his Government post over the Rwanda Bill in November, urged the Prime Minister to accept amendments to the legislation as he warned it will not work unless it is strengthened.

Mr Jenrick has put forward changes, backed by dozens of his Tory colleagues, to toughen up the legislation and he told the House of Commons that these amendments would “address the evident flaws of the Bill”.

04:07 PM GMT

Good afternoon

03:57 PM GMT

Civil servants could be ordered to obey ministers over Rwanda flights

Civil servants may be ordered to obey Government ministers if they choose to ignore an attempt by European judges to block deportation flights to Rwanda.

Downing Street is actively considering reminding officials of their obligations under the Civil Service code as it attempts to see off a rebellion over the Rwanda Bill.

You can read the full story here.

03:43 PM GMT

Ex-justice secretary warns against Rwanda Bill 'overreach'

Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, warned the Government against overreaching with its Rwanda Bill as he cautioned against strengthening the legislation.

The senior Tory MP told the House of Commons: “I said at second reading that the principle of commity, that mutual respect that needs to exist between the arms of the constitution is one that means that we do need restraint, that we do need to take care when we legislate and that however grave the situation might be... we must remember that in legislating in this place we do not protect ourselves out of the very freedoms that we cherish.”

Sir Robert argued that amendments from Tory MPs on the right of the parliamentary Conservative Party would actually make it less likely that the Bill will work. He suggested the proposed changes would see the Bill become bogged down in pointless legal rows.

“Because I think that history has taught us that where, despite good intention, we end up being too expansive and where we overreach, then the check and the balance that exists in our constitution will apply...” he said.

03:24 PM GMT

Tory MPs criticise plan to draft in more judges to deal with migrant appeals

Tory MPs have criticised Rishi Sunak’s plan to draft in around 150 judges and free up courtrooms in order to deal with migrant appeals.

Former minister Sir John Redwood, intervening on Tory colleague Sir William Cash, told the Commons: “Did [Sir William] see the recent briefings that seemed to come from the Government that they’re expecting a lot of cases under their law and they’re going to provide a lot more judges to do it? Aren’t they telling us that it isn’t going to work?”

Sir William replied: “I’m afraid to say that does appear to be the inevitable inference to be drawn from the statements that are being made.

“And the worry is that unless the law is completely clear and unambiguous there’s going to be more trouble, and if this Bill was to be passed with clear and unambiguous words they wouldn’t be needing the judges that they seem to be wanting to employ – nor for that matter all the fees the lawyers accumulate as a result of taking part in some very spurious cases.”

03:02 PM GMT

Senior Tory MP highlights voter 'anger and frustration' over illegal migration

The Government should take note of the “sheer anger and frustration” among voters about illegal migration and come forward with its own amendments to strengthen the Rwanda Bill, a senior Tory MP has argued.

Sir William Cash told the House of Commons: “I strongly urge the Government to note the sheer anger and frustration demonstrated in opinion polls and public concern that we get this Bill right and make it work. If not, this anger will continue, up to and including the general election.

“Would it not be wise for the Government to reflect on the position and that it would be better and wiser to come forward with their own amendments and use our majority in line with our manifesto, granted to us by the general election in 2019 and in the national interest and for the sake of all Conservative members of Parliament whose seats will be so at risk if we do not do so.”

02:56 PM GMT

Rwanda plan could enhance UK's international reputation, says senior Tory MP

Sir William Cash rejected the suggestion from critics that the Rwanda plan could harm the UK’s reputation on the world stage, arguing it could actually do the opposite.

The senior Tory MP, who has tabled a number of amendments to strengthen the Rwanda Bill, told the Commons: “Far from diminishing our international reputation, we now have the opportunity to enhance it by demonstrating that we can deal with illegal migration by making this Bill work through our own parliamentary sovereignty.”

02:40 PM GMT

Rwanda Plan is a 'sham', claims Labour

Labour claimed the Tories had engaged in “psychodramas” over the Rwanda Bill.

Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, said there had been an “astonishing amount” of Government time spent on a scheme which he described as an “unworkable nonsense”.

The Rwanda plan had left Rishi Sunak’s leadership “in tatters”, he claimed as he labelled the migrant deportation scheme a “sham”.

02:24 PM GMT

Labour opposes Rwanda plan 'in its entirety'

Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, said Labour was opposed to the Rwanda Bill “in its entirety”.

He told the House of Commons: “May I just start by reminding the House and anyone watching at home that the Labour Party is opposed to this Bill in its entirety for the simple reason that we are opposed to the Rwanda scheme in its entirety.”

02:13 PM GMT

Jenrick urges Sunak to fix Rwanda Bill 'once and for all'

Robert Jenrick said he could see “no reason why the Prime Minister” could not accept his amendments to strengthen the Rwanda Bill “once and for all”.

Concluding his remarks in the House of Commons this afternoon, the former immigration minister said: “At the outset I said there was one question hanging over this debate, what works. There is a further question. How much are we actually willing to do to stop the boats? How are we willing to take on the vested interests, balance the trade offs, take the robust steps that will actually work?

“The only countries in the world that have fixed this problem , latterly Australian and Greece, have been willing to take the most robust action. Are we?

“Well, I am. I want to stop the boats and secure our borders. This is a difficult issue but we are not a parish council, struggling with some kind o intractable legal issue. We are a soverign parliament. The power is in our hands, we have agency, the law is our servant not our master.

“I would urge [all MPs] to support the amendments in my name and those of [Sir William Cash] and create a scheme that actually works. That is what our constituents expect of us, that is the promise that the Prime Minister has made to them and the whole country.”

02:03 PM GMT

Migrant deportations should happen 'within days, not months', says Jenrick

Illegal migrants arriving in the UK via small boat must be deported to Rwanda “within days, not months”, Robert Jenrick told the House of Commons.

Outlining his concerns with the current version of the Rwanda Bill, he said: “The operational plan behind this Bill foresees that people will take months to be removed from the country.”

He said slow deportations would mean more asylum hotel use and likely more people absconding from the system.

01:54 PM GMT

Jenrick: Current version of Rwanda Bill 'doesn't work'

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick said that the current version of the Rwanda Bill “doesn’t work”.

He said that it would not be enough to roll out the Rwanda plan to deliver just a “few symbolic flights” in the coming months and that actually the policy had to result in the “sustainable deterrent that we set out to achieve”.

Mr Jenrick said his amendments to toughen up the legislation, backed by dozens of Tory MPs, would correct the “evident flaws of the Bill”.

He said the amendments represented the “last opportunity for us to get this policy right”.

01:49 PM GMT

Illegal immigration to UK doing 'untold damage', says Jenrick

Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, told the House of Commons that a “single question hangs over this debate: what works?”

The Tory MP said “what matters is does this scheme work” as he said illegal immigration is doing “untold damage to our country” and “costing billions of pounds

“We have to fix this problem,” he said.

01:46 PM GMT

Pictured: Rishi Sunak and Lord Cameron talk to each other at Cabinet meeting

01:38 PM GMT

SNP frontbencher slams 'appalling' Rwanda Bill

The committee stage debate on the Rwanda Bill is now underway in the House of Commons.

Alison Thewliss, the SNP’s home affairs spokeswoman, is speaking first as she introduces the SNP’s proposed amendments to the legislation.

Ms Thewliss described the Bill as “appalling” and “awful”. She claimed the legislation “will not work” and argued ministers were failing to “engage with reality”.

01:23 PM GMT

Debate on Rwanda Bill set to start

The committee stage debate of the Rwanda Bill will get underway in the House of Commons in about 15 minutes’ time.

I posted an explainer below on what is happening today (and tomorrow) and when the votes on amendments are likely to take place - see the post at 09.52.

There is also an explainer on when MPs will deliver their final verdict on the Bill - see the post at 10.33.

01:08 PM GMT

Senior Tory MP: ‘Very difficult’ to vote for current version of Rwanda Bill

Senior Tory MP Sir John Hayes said it would be “very difficult” to vote for the Rwanda Bill if it is not strengthened.

Asked if he would vote for an unamended version of the Bill, Sir John told Times Radio: “I don’t think, if the Bill is unamended and not fit for purpose… it would be very difficult to vote for the Bill, wouldn’t it? I can’t see how you could.”

12:48 PM GMT

Boundary changes mean Labour needs bigger swing than 1997 to win general election

Labour will need a bigger swing than Tony Blair’s 1997 victory to win the next general election, with the party’s path to power made more difficult by extensive boundary changes.

Sir Keir Starmer will have to achieve a swing of 12.7 points from the Conservatives to become prime minister, new research shows – larger than the 10.2-point swing Tony Blair managed in his 1997 landslide, and more than double the swing at any other election since 1945.

The Labour leader’s task is made harder by the impact of the boundary changes, the first since 2010 and intended to ensure that constituencies have similar numbers of voters.

You can read the full story here.

12:23 PM GMT

No 10 disagrees with UNHCR on Rwanda Bill verdict

Downing Street said it disagreed with the assessment by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that the Rwanda Bill and the recently-signed treaty with Kigali would still violate global refugee law.

Asked whether the UK Government disagreed with the UNHCR’s assessment, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Yes.

“I haven’t seen specifically what they have said, but we have set out the summary of our legal advice and obviously we are legislating to enable us to do this.

“The UNHCR also have a partnership with Rwanda ensuring they can safely take in migrants, I think from Libya, including a number quite recently.”

12:00 PM GMT

Sunak urges Tory MPs to back 'missing piece' Rwanda Bill

Rishi Sunak has urged Tory rebels to unite behind the Rwanda Bill, arguing it is the “missing piece” in his plan to stop the boats.

Asked for Mr Sunak’s message to the rebels, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We believe this Bill is the fastest way to get flights off the ground and will provide the missing piece to our raft of measures that will stop the boats.

“We are down 36 per cent year-on-year, we want to go further and this Bill provides that missing deterrent which we know is so effective because we have seen it when we secured the Albania returns agreement.

“And we know the public want more done to tackle illegal migration and this Bill is the right way forward.”

11:30 AM GMT

Rwanda Bill amendments now backed by 60 Tory MPs

Approximately 60 Tory MPs have now formally signed amendments designed to strengthen the Rwanda Bill.

That represents about 17 per cent of the parliamentary Conservative Party.

11:09 AM GMT

Priti Patel urges Sunak to ensure all Rwanda 'roadblocks' are removed

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel, who first signed a UK migrants deal with Rwanda in April 2022, gave her backing to Rishi Sunak’s legislation but said it should “go further”.

She said that the Government needed to make sure that “all potential roadblocks are removed, including the civil service blob” by making clear that the “civil service code cannot be used by officials to obstruct decisions”.

Dame Priti said measures should be taken to ensure that, should ministers use the Rwanda Bill to ignore so-called Rule 39 orders, injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg that have previously been used to block flights to Rwanda, then civil servants must comply with the decision.

In an article for The Sun newspaper, she wrote: “The Rwanda Bill gives ministers the power to decide whether to comply with Rule 39 and the Government must force the civil service to let them use it to ensure our robust plans to tackle illegal migration can be operationalised.”

11:02 AM GMT

Public backs tougher Rwanda plan, poll reveals

The public backs a toughening of the Government’s Rwanda plan for illegal migrants, a poll suggests ahead of crucial Commons votes on Rishi Sunak’s flagship immigration policy.

More than half of voters in the Prime Minister’s constituency believe people who cross the Channel in small boats should be immediately removed with no right of appeal.

Across England and Wales, 42 per cent of voting-age adults back such a policy, which the former immigration minister Robert Jenrick is trying to persuade Mr Sunak to adopt.

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10:52 AM GMT

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg: Tories must deliver immigration action 'urgently'

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Tories must “urgently” deliver on their pledge to curb immigration if they are to re-establish trust with British voters.

The former Cabinet minister told GB News: “The British public were promised that immigration would be brought down from the hundreds to the tens of thousands in 2010, and in 2015.

“They then voted in favour of Brexit especially to regain sovereignty of our migration policy.

“This hasn’t happened. People are feeling dissatisfied. There’s a Rwanda Bill before Parliament at the moment.

“The Tories need to deliver on this and deliver on this urgently if they are to have any hope of re-establishing trust with British voters.”

10:33 AM GMT

When will MPs deliver their final verdict on the Rwanda Bill?

After the Rwanda Bill’s two days in committee stage conclude tomorrow night, there will be two potential routes forward.

If the Bill is amended then it will be scheduled for its report stage debate for further scrutiny on a day yet to be decided.

But if it is unamended the Bill will immediately proceed to its third reading stage, with a short debate and then a vote.

This will be the vote that really matters because third reading is the final major hurdle which legislation must clear before it heads to the House of Lords.

Dozens of Tory MPs are backing amendments to the Bill but it is currently unclear how many would be willing to vote against the legislation if their efforts to toughen it up fail.

A government bill has not been defeated at third reading since 1977.

10:11 AM GMT

Pictured: Lord Cameron arrives in Downing Street for weekly Cabinet meeting

09:52 AM GMT

When will MPs vote on Rwanda Bill amendments?

The Rwanda Bill returns to the House of Commons today and tomorrow for its committee stage.

Committee stage is when MPs can try to make changes to legislation by tabling amendments.

There will be six hours of debate on both days, with votes on amendments expected to happen at the end of each six-hour session.

The Commons Speaker will decide which amendments are selected to be voted on.

We are expecting today’s debate to get underway at about 1pm which means the votes should start at about 7pm.

09:25 AM GMT

Boris Johnson tells Rishi Sunak to accept Rwanda Bill amendments

09:24 AM GMT

Gove 'pretty sure' Anderson will be Tory deputy chairman at election

Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, said he was “pretty sure” Lee Anderson would still be a Conservative Party deputy chairman at the next general election.

Asked what would happen if the Tory MP backed rebel amendments to the Rwanda Bill, Mr Gove told Times Radio: “Well, I think we might be getting ahead of ourselves because I think that, and Lee is a friend and I’m a big admirer of his, the concerns that Lee has about the Bill are the concerns that the country has about migration more broadly.

“And I think the Bill does address them. I think the Bill does make sure – it’s one of the toughest pieces of migration legislation to come before the House of Commons if not the toughest – and it makes sure that ministers can quickly and clearly send people to Rwanda because it deals with all of the concerns that the Supreme Court had.”

09:18 AM GMT

Sir Simon Clarke: Tories face ‘utter disaster’ if Rwanda Bill fails

The Conservative Party will face “utter disaster” if the Rwanda Bill fails, Sir Simon Clark said.

The former Cabinet minister has said he is prepared to vote against the Bill if it is unamended.

Writing for the ConservativeHome website, Sir Simon said: “The public is absolutely exhausted of politicians who are only prepared to offer half measures, and to see our country limp along in a stupor of inaction and failure.

“Enough. We either amend this Bill so that it will work, or we face utter disaster when it becomes clear over the months ahead that it does not deliver. Many of us will not stand idly by and let that happen.”

09:13 AM GMT

Mel Stride plays down concerns about potential Tory Rwanda Bill rebellion

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride appeared to play down concerns about a major Tory rebellion over the Rwanda Bill.

The Cabinet minister told LBC Radio: “Let’s see. Bills go through various processes. There are often amendments.

“We all know that there are very few Bills – very, very few Bills – that go through straight and clean and nobody tries to amend them in any way at all.

“What matters is that the Bill progresses in a form that leaves it effective at the end and I’m confident we’re going to do that.”

08:57 AM GMT

Miriam Cates ‘prepared’ to vote against Rwanda Bill if no changes made

Miriam Cates said she would be prepared to vote against the Rwanda Bill if no changes are made to it.

She told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “I would be prepared. But what I really want to see is the Government to accept these amendments.”

Asked how many other Tory MPs could be prepared to vote against the Bill at third reading, Ms Cates said: “I can only speak for myself. We have got 66 colleagues now with their names on these combined amendments. We are very much looking at those amendments, making the arguments for them today, seeking to persuade the Government to accept them.”

08:39 AM GMT

Miriam Cates: Current version of Rwanda Bill ‘won’t be effective’

Tory MP Miriam Cates, the co-chairman of the New Conservatives Group, said the Rwanda Bill as currently drafted “won’t be effective”.

She said the Bill “does make progress from previous legislation” but it will still “allow a large number of individual claims” to go before the courts.

Ms Cates argued this would undermine the policy as a deterrent.

She said: “The only way to make it work is to cut off all these possible routes for it to be tied up in the courts. We can only do that if we accept our amendments.”

08:28 AM GMT

Unite behind Rwanda Bill, Mel Stride urges Tory MPs

Mel Stride urged Tory MPs to unite behind the Rwanda Bill.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said the legislation will deliver the long-awaited deportation flights which will provide a deterrent to dangerous small boat crossings.

He told Times Radio: “We can argue about exactly the best form that that should take. And the Government has been in listening mode.

“But at the end of the day, we need to unite behind our clear plan to get the deterrent in place and to stop those boats, as opposed to allowing the opposite to prevail which is Keir Starmer with absolutely no plan, which is going to lead to a kind of open border situation and these problems getting an awful lot worse.”

08:16 AM GMT

Cabinet minister refuses to be drawn on Lee Anderson's future as Tory deputy chairman

Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has refused to be drawn on whether Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith should continue in their roles as deputy chairmen of the Conservative Party if they rebel against the Government on the Rwanda Bill.

Both Mr Anderson and Mr Clarke-Smith have said they are backing amendments brought forward by rebel MPs which are designed to toughen up the legislation.

Asked if the pair could continue in their official party roles if they voted for the amendments, Mr Stride told Times Radio this morning: “These aren’t decisions for me.”

He said that he understands “why people feel very strongly about this”.

08:07 AM GMT

Ex-immigration minister will 'actively consider' voting against Rwanda Bill

Robert Jenrick said he will “actively consider” voting against the Rwanda Bill at its final stage in the House of Commons if it is not amended and improved.

The former immigration minister has tabled amendments, backed by dozens of his Tory colleagues, which seek to strengthen the legislation and narrow the circumstances in which people could legally challenge being sent to Rwanda.

The Bill faces its committee stage in the Commons today and tomorrow when MPs will have the chance to vote on proposed changes. The Bill will then have to clear a vote at third reading in order for it to be sent to the Lords for further scrutiny.

Asked if he could vote against at third reading, Mr Jenrick told GB News: “I hope the Government will move and produce amendments that create a Bill that will actually work.

“If they won’t, then I’ve been clear that I’m not going to support the Bill. And I’ll actively consider voting against it. Because all that matters is what works, and I’m not going to support a Bill that doesn’t work.”

08:02 AM GMT

Jenrick: No route to election victory for Tories if Rwanda Bill fails

The Conservative Party will have “no route to victory” at the next general election if Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda Bill fails, Robert Jenrick has suggested.

The former immigration minister said he believed the Tory Party had “lost its way on migration” - both legal and illegal - as he stressed the need for more action.

He made the comments ahead of the Bill returning to the House of Commons this afternoon as Mr Sunak faces a showdown with rebel Tory MPs who want to strengthen the legislation.

Asked if he believed Mr Sunak could be trusted on immigration, Mr Jenrick told GB News: “I hope he can. I do think that the Conservative Party has lost its way on migration generally and in particular on legal migration because it’s shown such a disinterest in this issue in recent months and years.

“I want to change that, that’s one of the reasons I left government so that I can make the argument for taking action because our voters care passionately about it.

“There’s no route to victory at the next general election or a Conservative majority without showing action on this and people don’t want to hear talk, they want to see action.”

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