Rwanda bill to become law after late night row between government and Lords
The government’s Rwanda bill will finally become law after the Lords decided there would be no further amendments in a late-night session.
For weeks, peers have been pushing back on the scheme – which seeks to deport asylum seekers arriving in the UK via small boats to the African nation – and trying to get ministers to make changes to the controversial legislation.
But after further rounds of so-called “ping pong” saw the bill flit between both Houses throughout Monday evening, both MPs and peers have now agreed to the plan, and it will soon become law – with Rishi Sunak pledging the first flights will take off “in 10 to 12 weeks”.
Latest reaction after government’s Rwanda bill passes Lords
Home Secretary James Cleverly has said the bill will become law “within days”, adding that its passage through the Lords was a “landmark moment in our plan to stop the boats”.
The Rwanda scheme was first proposed by Boris Johnson two years ago as a way to deter people from making dangerous journeys across the Channel.
But it has faced a raft of criticism from opposition parties, charities and even some of the government’s own backbenchers, and no flights have taken off – despite the prime minister’s earlier pledge to see them leave “in the spring”.
The UK’s Supreme Court also ruled the plan unlawful last November.
After the bill was accepted by the Lords, Freedom From Torture, Amnesty International and Liberty said the UK was increasingly gaining a reputation for “playing fast and loose with its international obligations”.
A spokesperson for the organisations said: “We all deserve the chance to live a safe life, and to seek protection when we need it most. This shameful Bill trashes the constitution and international law whilst putting torture survivors and other refugees at risk of an unsafe future in Rwanda.
“No matter how many times the prime minister says so, we know this is not the will of the people.”
But Mr Sunak – who has made “stopping the boats” a central part of his leadership – introduced changes in this bill to establish Rwanda as a “safe country” in British law, and negotiated a new treaty with the nation, believing the measures would solve the legal issues raised.
Despite these revisions, and Mr Sunak calling it “emergency legislation”, the parliamentary process has dragged on for months, with peers sending it back on multiple occasions to push for changes.
But at a press conference on Monday morning, the prime minister said “enough is enough”, and promised the bill would pass by close of play on the day, “no ifs, no buts”.
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PM adamant Rwanda flights will happen
In its latest parliamentary round on Monday night, the Lords won a concession from the government over its demands to ensure asylum seekers who had worked with British armed forces abroad were not deported to Rwanda.
In a last-minute attempt to see the bill through, they promised to reassess all those from Afghanistan whose claims had been rejected under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, with Home Office minister Lord Sharpe saying: “We will not let them down.”
However, there was no compromise on offer for Lord Hope’s amendment, which would have required an independent body to rule Rwanda as a “safe country”, rather than just declaring it in law – and peers pushed once more for its inclusion on the bill, backing his call by 240 votes to 211.
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Returning to the Commons shortly after 10pm, MPs again rejected the amendment thanks to the Conservatives’ majority, and the Lords was once more asked to approve the bill – with hopes from the government that it was the final fight.
Around midnight, the Lords agreed there would be no further amendments to the bill, sending it to King Charles for final approval.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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