Sunak in crisis as top Tories Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith defy him
Rishi Sunak has been rocked after two Tory deputy chairmen said they'd defy him over Rwanda.
Loudmouth Lee Anderson delivered a hammer blow to the PM's dwindling authority by saying he'll back rebel MPs demanding his flagship Bill is rewritten. And just moments later the crisis deepened when Brendan Clarke-Smith - who was only appointed seven weeks ago - also said he'd back hardliners.
The Conservative heavyweights broke ranks with the Government by joining over 50 backbenchers demanding changes ahead of a make-or-break battle. Mr Sunak faces opposition from all sides as he tries to push his controversial Safety of Rwanda Bill, which is on the brink of dragging the party into civil war, through the Commons.
Brazen Mr Anderson confirmed that he's signed amendments by hardliners Sir Bill Cash and Robert Jenrick saying the PM's legislation must be beefed up. He joins right-wingers including Suella Braverman, Liz Truss and Sir Iain Duncan Smith in calling for legal safeguards which protect asylum seekers to be shredded.
Mr Anderson posted on Twitter: "The Rwanda Bill. I have signed the Cash & Jenrick amendments. I will vote for them." And confirming he'd done the same, Mr Clarke-Smith wrote: "When I was elected in 2019 I promised my constituents we would take back control. I want this legislation to be as strong as possible and therefore I will be supporting the Jenrick/Cash amendments. These are arguments I have consistently made and will continue to make."
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Mr Clarke-Smith was only appointed as a Tory deputy chairman in November, leaving Mr Sunak with an agonising decision over whether to sack him. Asked if he'd keep his job, he said: “We’ll see. It’s not for me to decide.”
Both Mr Jenrick - who quit as Immigration Minister last month in order to distance himself from the Bill - and Sir Bill believe Mr Sunak's legislation won't work. They've tabled amendments they say will tackle weaknesses - but Tory moderates will refuse to back them.
Hitting back at right-wing colleagues, ex-Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland warned that toughening up the Bill will "cause problems". Sir Robert, a member of the moderate One Nation Tory group, siad: "I think in a nutshell, the Government would be best advised not to accept any of the amendments from my colleagues on the right, because the Bill then will cause a problem for us here. So we're hoping that common sense will prevail."
One Nation chairman Damian Green said: "We've made our position clear that we, for all our reservations, we voted for the Bill at second reading. And we want the Government to carry it through unamended."
Earlier today the weak PM refused to say whether he would sack Mr Anderson if he votes against his latest Bill. Other senior Tories, including Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, are also claimed to be unhappy with his plans.
Mr Sunak faces a tense two-day battle in the Commons, starting on Tuesday, with Conservative moderates saying his Bill has already gone far enough. Former minister Damian Green hit out at right wingers, saying: “Impractical measures that sound tough but achieve nothing are the wrong way to make this happen.”
Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch is also claimed to be pushing for the Safety of Rwanda Bill to be strengthened. But the PM declined to say if he would face disciplinary action if he votes against the Government.
Pressed twice on what he'd do if Mr Anderson breaks ranks, 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."
Former treasury minister Sir Simon Clarke also piled pressure on the PM by saying a "significant body" of Tory MPs won't support Mr Sunak's legislation as it stands.
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