Lee Anderson says Rishi Sunak won't stop the boats as he leads Baked Bean Plot

17 January 2024 , 11:46

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Lee Anderson criticised Rishi Sunak's immigration legislation (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Lee Anderson has warned that Rishi Sunak won’t stop the boats as he lashes out at the PM’s immigration plan.

The loudmouth Tory and his pal Brendan Clarke-Smith quit as the party’s Deputy Chairmen to join a Commons rebellion in his Rwanda plan.

The so-called “Baked Bean Two” humiliated themselves on TV last year as Mr Anderson spoon-fed Mr Clarke-Smith cold baked beans.

Appearing on GB News after resigning, Mr Anderson said: “At the end of the day, small boats are coming, they'll keep coming. I want to see a situation where anybody who arrives illegally in this country has no right at all, to claim asylum, no right to claim an appeal, and more importantly, no right to go missing and disappear into the country.”

He added: “I don't want to see boats pulling up to Dover every 10 minutes. I want to see them not coming and I want to see a bill that delivers that.”

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Tory deputy chairmen Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith pictured eating beans on GB News

The Government has suggested it will order civil servants to ignore attempts by judges to block Rwanda deportation flights as Mr Sunak tries to control his unruly party. In an effort to get rebels to back legislation, the PM has given in to their demands to clamp down on officials.

Mr Sunak is seeking to win over MPs ahead of a crunch vote this evening on his Rwanda plan, after he suffered the biggest Conservative revolt of his leadership. Despite the infighting, the Safety of Rwanda Bill is expected to clear its final Commons hurdle tonight.

Immigration Minister Michael Tomlinson confirmed ministers were considering tweaking the Civil Service code to remind officials to follow ministerial decisions. Tory rebels have warned that the Rwanda legislation fails to go far enough to block last-minute injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights.

The minister did not spell out the exact details, but told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "My expectation is that there will be further confirmation that it will be for ministers to decide and then, once those decisions are made, they will be carried out ... by our excellent and efficient civil servants."

John Stevens