18 January 2024 , 08:48
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Ex-Deputy PM Therese Coffey's attack on Labour over the Rwanda deportation scheme appeared to backfire in an excruciating Commons moment.
The Tory MP attempted to scold Yvette Cooper, saying she was "astonished" the Shadow Home Secretary couldn't even "get the name of the country right" after making reference to the "Kigali government".
Kigali is the capital of Rwanda and most of the country's government offices are located in the city. Multiple Tory Home Secretaries have also visited Kigali to boast about the deportation plan.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Ms Coffey said: "I have to say I was somewhat astonished at the speech of the Shadow Home Secretary who can't even get the name of the country right, talking about the Kigali government. We're talking about Rwanda - a respected country that has recently been President of the Commonwealth".
The comment provoked a smirk from a bemused Ms Cooper and the Shadow Home Office Minister Stephen Kinnock, who were both sitting on Labour's frontbench in the chamber.
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The blundering Tory doubled down her comments - insisting that she had misunderstood the remarks. In a post on Twitter, she said: "Some keyboard snipers moaning that I criticised the opposition for referring to the Kigali government, not the Rwandan government.
"I would not call the French government, the Paris government nor the Scottish government, the Edinburgh government. Why disrespect Rwanda?"
The former environment secretary rejected the idea she had misunderstood Ms Cooper's remarks. "Of course, Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda," she said. "The Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol is one of the most important agreements to strive towards net zero focusing on the phase down of HFCs. It is a key part of keeping 1.5 alive."
The unfortunate blunder also came just minutes before Rishi Sunak survived another day as a rebellion over his Rwanda Bill fizzled away. After days of threats by factions on the Tory right, just 11 Tory MPs, including ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman and former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick voted against.
A further 18, including former deputy party chairman Lee Anderson - who dramatically quit in protest on Tuesday - right-winger Jonathan Gullis and ex-PM Theresa May did not cast a vote.
The PM has previously said it is his ambition to have removal flights leaving by the spring. But Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former Business Secretary, said he thought it "unlikely" deportations would take place before the next general election, expected in the second half of 2024, after amendments to the Bill failed.
"I think it will be very difficult to stop the boats without the strengthening that I was supporting," he told BBC Newsnight.
Sir Jacob was one of dozens of rebels who supported Mr Jenrick's amendment on Wednesday, which was designed to allow UK ministers to ignore flight-grounding emergency injunctions by European judges, but then backed the legislation at third reading.
Despite the Bill expected to face serious challenges in the upper chamber, the Home Office minister Chris Philp insisted the Bill should pass through the Lords "fairly fast" because it is relatively short. Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Philp added: "It's a pretty short Bill, which means it should be able to get through the House of Lords fairly fast."