Rishi Sunak won't say if he'll sack top Tory Lee Anderson over Rwanda threat
Rishi Sunak has refused to say if he’ll sack a top Tory who is threatening to join a revolt over his Rwanda plan.
Lee Anderson, the Conservative Deputy Chairman, is expected to back rebel amendments seeking to toughen up legislation aimed at getting the deportation flights off the ground. But the PM declined to say if he would face disciplinary action if he votes against the Government.
The Safety of Rwanda Bill will be voted on over two days in the Commons on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mr Sunak is facing pressure on two fronts as right wingers demand he does more, while Conservative moderates raise concerns about the prospect of sidelining international conventions and human rights provisions.
At least 60 Conservative MPs are expected to back amendments to strengthen the legislation.
Asked if Mr Anderson would be sacked if he voted against the Government, the PM said: “The Conservative Party are completely united on wanting to stop the boats. We share the frustration of the British people about this situation… I'm determined to get this new legislation onto the statute book so we can get our Rwanda scheme up and running.
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“We've made good progress so far thanks to the hard work of many, which means that the numbers of arrivals are down by over a third last year. That shows the plan is working but in order to finish the job, we do need a deterrent like Rwanda. And that's why I'm trying to do everything I can to get this bill which is by the way, the toughest piece of migration legislation the parliament has ever seen - onto the statute books so we can finally grip this problem.”
Pushed on whether Mr Anderson would be disciplined, Mr Sunak said: “Of course I continue to talk to all my colleagues, but I know everyone's frustrated. I'm frustrated about the situation ... I'm confident that the bill we've got is the toughest that anyone's ever seen. And it will resolve this issue once and for all.”
Tory former Cabinet Minister Sir Simon Clarke has become the latest MP to warn they will rebel. He told BBC Politics Live that the proposed legislation is "still riddled with holes". "I've been clear with the whips, if the bill goes forward unamended I will be unable to offer it my support," he said.
The fight over immigration comes as Mr Sunak faces pressure over a mega-poll suggesting he could lose almost 200 seats at the general election. In a desperate bid to prevent wipeout, rebels demanded the PM stand down as leader.
The YouGov survey of 14,000 people suggested Keir Starmer is on course to sweep into power with a landslide 120-seat majority. The poll indicated that Conservatives could hold on to as few as 169 seats, which would be 196 fewer than at the last election. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, and Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt could be among 11 Cabinet ministers to be ousted.
Mr Shapps insisted the Tories could turn the current opinion polls around. The Cabinet minister told Times Radio: "Absolutely. Look, the reason I think we can turn it around is because at least people know we have got a plan and we are working to it.”
But Dame Andrea Jenkyns urged colleagues to join her in seeking a leadership challenge, saying: “Conservative MPs given the latest polling are you now going to wake-up and put your vote of no confidence letters in too? Nothing to lose, we have a general election this year anyway. Time to get our party back and be real Conservatives. And save our country from the commies who backed Corbyn!”
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