Rishi Sunak to hold emergency Downing Street press conference amid Tory crisis
Rishi Sunak will hold an emergency press conference today in Downing Street as his party descends into civil war over his Rwanda strategy.
The PM is expected to appear around 11am amid warnings from his own MPs that he faces "electoral oblivion" at the next general election.
The Immigration Minister quit last night in a major blow to the PM following a row over emergency legislation aimed at getting around the Supreme Court's ruling that the Rwanda migrant deportation plan is illegal. Robert Jenrick suggested the new bill was an example of "hope over experience" in a brutal dig at his long-time pal Mr Sunak.
In a devastating resignation letter, he told the PM he couldn't stay in post when he had "such strong disagreements with the direction of the Government's policy on immigration." He warned Mr Sunak's bill subject to a "merry-go-round of legal challenges which risk paralysing the scheme and negating its intended deterrent."
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman also warned the PM needed to "change course" with his current plan "destined to fail". She said the Tories are in a "perilous situation" and need to deliver on the promise to stop the boats, saying: "The time for talks, slogans and promises is over. We need to show delivery".
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Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, she insisted her party does not have a "death wish" and claimed she wanted Mr Sunak to "succeed" - but he would have change course in order to do so.
She said: "I want the Prime Minister to succeed in stopping the boats. "He said he would do whatever it takes. I'm telling him there is a way to succeed in stopping the boats and fulfilling that promise. "If we do it, if he does it as Prime Minister, he will be able to lead us into the next election telling the people we have succeeded on this very important pledge."
Mr Sunak is expected to set out why he believes his strategy on immigration is right in his press conference this morning.
Cabinet minister Chris Heaton-Harris attempted to play down Tory divisions over the Rwanda policy following Mr Jenrick's dramatic resignation. Asked if the vote on the Safety Of Rwanda Bill would be treated as a matter of confidence in the Prime Minister, Mr Heaton-Harris said that was a decision for the whips but "I can't see why it would need to be because I think all Conservatives will vote for it".
The Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Heaton-Harris told Sky News: "The policy of stopping the boats is something that actually does unite the Conservative Party.
"There's elements in this Bill where people would like to go further.... there's also people that say this goes too far. "I actually think this Bill strikes the right balance. It is a really strong group of measures to try and stop the boats in a completely legal and justifiable way. And I think it will work."
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