UP IN THE AIR
Rishi signals Rwanda plan could be toughened up – but does not deny claims he once considered scrapping it altogether
The PM said he was open to “bright ideas” from Tory MPs complaining the deportation legislation was too weak
RISHI Sunak today signalled the Rwanda plan could be further toughened up - but did not deny claims he once considered scrapping it altogether.
The PM said he was open to “bright ideas” from Tory MPs complaining the deportation legislation was too weak.
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After his Safety of Rwanda Bill survived a mini-revolt on its first Commons vote last month, he faces a fresh push to harden it from backbenchers when it returns in the next few weeks.
Speaking in Preston today on a campaign trip, Mr Sunak suggested the Bill could yet be tweaked to appease his rebels.
He said: “If people have bright ideas about how we can make this more effective whilst complying with our international obligations and retaining Rwanda's participation in the scheme... then of course, I'm open to having those discussions.
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“But I have worked on it for a very long time, so I'm confident that it is a good deal and it will do the job for us.”
Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick is among those in the “Five Families” caucus of rightwingers vowing to amend the scheme to make it “sufficiently robust”.
He was among dozens of Tory MPs who abstained in the initial vote, fearing the current Bill still exposes the government to relentless legal challenges from illegal migrants.
The PM previously rejected backbench calls to disapply the Human Rights Act and European Convention on Human Rights in asylum cases, saying Rwanda would not accept any further hardening.
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Mr Sunak has also come under pressure on his own support for the flagship removal plan after The Sun revealed he weighed up ditching it during his 2022 leadership bid.
Pressed on our story this morning, the PM did not explicitly deny talking with aides about the prospect of pulling the plug.
He said: “I didn’t say that I was going to scrap it. That is completely false.
"Of course I didn’t... at the time it came up when I was chancellor I rightly, on all of your behalf because ultimately when we spend money in government it is not my money, it is all of your money.
"What you need is your chancellor to ask some probing questions of something.”
Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper hit back: "This is more evidence of the total Tory chaos over their failing Rwanda scheme and the weakness of Rishi Sunak - yet they are still making the taxpayer pay the extortionate price."
Mr Sunak began his “PM Connect” visit begging voters to “stick with the plan” rather than banking on Sir Keir Starmer at the next election.
Declaring Rwanda “so important” to his mission to stop the boats, he accused the Labour leader of “playing political games”.
He said: “But we all know he's not actually interested in stopping the boats, he's more interested in stopping the flights that are trying to remove people who shouldn't be here illegally."
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