MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK: Crucial vote on Rwanda bill this Wednesday; blow to PM Sunak's authority

In a blow to the PM's authority, 60 Tory MPs backed rebel amendments. No 10 is confident the bill as a whole will still pass later, but is thought to be preparing to offer concessions.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing a crucial vote on his Rwanda bill this Wednesday, after two Conservative deputy chairmen and a ministerial aide resigned to rebel over the issue. BBC has reported that on Tuesday Lee Anderson, Brendan Clarke-Smith and Jane Stevenson stepped down to vote for changes they said would toughen up the legislation.

In a blow to the PM's authority, 60 Tory MPs backed rebel amendments. No 10 is confident the bill as a whole will still pass later, but is thought to be preparing to offer concessions.

MPs are set to continue debating proposed changes to the legislation - which seeks to deter Channel crossings by reviving the government's plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda - in the Commons on Wednesday, with the bill put to a vote afterwards if it remains unamended.

If around 30 Tory MPs join opposition parties in voting against the bill at its final Commons hurdle, it could be defeated.

At least four Conservative MPs - including former ministers Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman - have publicly said they are prepared to vote against the bill if it is not improved.

But it is unclear how many more could join them.

Home Secretary James Cleverly wrote a piece on the issue in the Daily Express Sunday edition,

The Rwanda resettlement plan will be part of our deterrent

The deaths this week in the channel show that the people smugglers don't care if the people they smuggle live or die, they just care about the money. The only losses that matter to them are money. That’s why we are disrupting their flow of cash, as well as boats and engines.

We and other countries are working in partnership to break the business model of these criminal people smuggling gangs.

I am focussed on protecting our borders and preventing these senseless deaths. Effective border controls are the right and humane way to deal with these dangerous and illegal journeys.

We have been working to break this evil business model, and take on these smuggling gangs.

As a result of our actions small boat arrivals fell by 36 per cent last year.

The Rwanda resettlement plan will be part of our deterrent, we will make it clear that spending money and risking death just isn’t worth it. If you come to the UK illegally you won’t be able to stay here.

Conservatives are determined to take action. This is in stark contrast to Sir Keir Starmer said any immigration law was racist. He just doesn’t believe in securing our borders. His position is not just weak, it’s dangerous. He is giving a green light to evil criminal gangs to put lives at risk for profit.

The government is determined to break these gangs, prevent these deaths, and stop the boats.