{"id":1385,"date":"2023-12-11T22:03:15","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T22:03:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/rishi-sunak-faces-crunch-rwanda-vote-as-tory-mps-split\/"},"modified":"2023-12-11T22:03:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T22:03:15","slug":"rishi-sunak-faces-crunch-rwanda-vote-as-tory-mps-split","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/rishi-sunak-faces-crunch-rwanda-vote-as-tory-mps-split\/","title":{"rendered":"Rishi Sunak faces crunch Rwanda vote as Tory MPs split"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rishi Sunak faces crunch Rwanda vote as Tory MPs split<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Rishi<\/picture><\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
By Becky Morton & Henry Zeffman<\/div>\n
BBC Politics<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing a battle to persuade Tory MPs to back his flagship Rwanda bill, ahead of a key vote on Tuesday. <\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The legislation seeks to revive the government’s plan to send some asylum seekers to the east African country. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

MPs on the right of the party have said the bill does not go far enough and will not work in its current form. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

But more centrist MPs warned against any changes which would breach international law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The Safety of Rwanda Bill faces its first Parliamentary test – known as its second reading – on Tuesday, when MPs get a chance to debate and vote on the main principles of the bill.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The aim of the policy is to deter migrants from crossing the Channel and it is central to the government’s plan to “stop the boats” – which Mr Sunak has made one of his key priorities. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

A rebellion by Tory MPs could sink the Rwanda scheme and severely damage the prime minister’s authority. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
    \n
  • How much trouble is PM in over Rwanda bill?<\/li>\n
  • Why does the UK want to send asylum seekers to Rwanda?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    \n

    Among those on the right of the party, the New Conservatives group, which has called for stronger measures to cut immigration, said the bill required “major surgery or replacement”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    More than 40 members met on Monday evening to discuss how they would vote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    Several MPs leaving the meeting said they were deciding between abstaining or voting against the bill. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    Two MPs said the group had the numbers to vote the legislation down and that only one or two in meeting had spoken in support of voting for the bill on Tuesday. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    Members of the group are due to meet Mr Sunak on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    Earlier, the European Research Group (ERG) – an influential group of Tory MPs also on the right of the party – said the bill provided an “incomplete solution” to the problem of legal challenges that could be mounted against individuals being sent to Rwanda – and “very significant amendments” would be needed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    The group has not yet decided how to vote on Tuesday. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    Following a meeting of the ERG and several other backbench factions, the group’s chairman Mark Francois said: “The feeling very much in the meeting is that the government would be best advised to pull the bill and come up with a revised version that works better than this one – which has so many holes in it.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    However, agreeing to the demands of MPs on the right of the party would risk losing the support of more centrist Tories. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    Following a meeting on Monday evening, the centrist One Nation group of Conservative MPs, which includes more than 100 MPs, said it was recommending its members vote for the bill at this stage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    However, the group said it would oppose any future amendments to the bill “that would mean the UK government breaching the rule of law and its international obligations”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    The group’s chairman, former Deputy Prime Minister Damian Green, said: “We have taken the decision that the most important thing at this stage is to support the bill – despite our real concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    “We strongly urge the government to stand firm against any attempt to amend the bill in a way that would make it unacceptable to those who believe that support for the rule of law is a basic Conservative principle.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    <\/svg><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    \n
    \n

    This video can not be played<\/p>\n

    To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    \n

    It is very rare for a bill to be defeated at its first Commons hurdle and this has not happened since 1986. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    However, Labour and opposition parties have already said they will try and vote it down, meaning the government needs to ensure enough Tory MPs vote for it to allow it to pass.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    To vote against the bill at this stage would be a vote against the principles of the legislation rather than just its details. Many Tory MPs would be extremely reluctant to do this and may prefer to abstain. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    Tory critics of the bill could decide to allow it to pass at this stage, possibly by abstaining, in the hope of securing concessions from the government as it goes through the Commons – despite the One Nation group warning against some of these.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    But some MPs who previously appeared inclined to back the government in Tuesday’s vote, in the hope of amending the bill at a later stage, now seem much more pessimistic about that possibility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    “There’s no way we’d have the votes to amend it next year,” one Tory MP told the BBC. “It’s now or never.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    Another MP on the right said: “I’ll vote against if enough colleagues are going to do that to defeat the government. But if just a few want to vote against then I’ll abstain.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    If the rebels went through with voting against the government in large enough numbers this would be near-apocalyptic for Sunak in political terms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    That prospect may be enough for him to withdraw the bill completely. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    Going ahead with the vote and being defeated would potentially presage a leadership election, perhaps even a general election.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n

    But the possibility of these consequences may well be enough to give many of the potential rebels pause for thought.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
    \n
    \n