Tory rebels have shown their hand – the big question now is whether Rishi Sunak pulls key Rwanda vote
Tory Rwanda rebels have shown their hand.
They have been able to demonstrate their side is willing to go further than before Christmas – and that they have the numbers to defeat the government tomorrow.
Two prominent figures on the right – salaried deputy chairmen of the Conservative Party – have resigned their posts to show the strength of feeling about the Rwanda issue.
(L-R) Mr Anderson and Mr Clarke-Smith
Meanwhile, 70 Tories, ex-Tories and DUP MPs have turned out to vote for an amendment to block international law from applying to the Rwanda policy in defiance of the PM, even more than signed the amendment.
The question now is whether the government is prepared to risk a defeat by going ahead tomorrow, or whether ministers abandon a plan to hold a vote in fear of defeat.
Some 60 Tory MPs, including 10 former cabinet ministers, voted against the government.
If 33 of these are prepared to hold their nerve in 24 hours and vote against the government in the next vote on the bill, then the bill falls and suddenly the Sunak government is facing an existential crisis.
For Rishi Sunak to lose this bill – which he has ended up making central to his premiership – is not automatically fatal.
It is not formally an issue of confidence.
But it may not be far off.
Read more:
Rwanda bill rebels – full list of Tories who voted for cash amendment
The biggest question in politics therefore is whether the chief whip and the PM hold tomorrow’s third reading of the bill, or pull it.
There are people in surprising parts of the Conservative Party who believe that Mr Sunak’s premiership is in dire straits and that a change of leader – however mad that might seem to the country – could be necessary.
They’re not currently for changing their leader, but they’re not viscerally hostile.
All of this today means red lights on the dashboard should be flashing in Number 10.
Politics
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈
“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
Read more on this story:
‘Fix care before assisted dying legislation’
Why assisted dying is controversial – and where it’s already legal
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
The crypto industry is “going to save hundreds of millions of dollars” with Donald Trump as president, Consensys CEO Joe Lubin forecasts.
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