Rwanda vote not about leadership, says Rishi Sunak – as he dodges election question
Rishi Sunak has dodged questions over whether he will call a general election if he loses a crunch vote on his Rwanda bill – which he insisted was not a vote of confidence in his leadership.
The prime minister repeatedly defended the bill from its critics at a press conference on Thursday as questions mount over whether it will be able to pass in the Commons next week.
Mr Sunak described the bill, which compels UK judges to treat Rwanda as a safe country for asylum seekers, as the “toughest anti-immigration law” that had ever been brought in, adding that he knew it would “upset some people”.
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The prime minister convened the news conference just hours after Robert Jenrick quit his post as immigration minister over the bill, which he said did not go “far enough” and represented a “triumph of hope over experience”.
During the press conference, Mr Sunak was asked by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby whether he would call an election if he could not get the bill through parliament.
“You’ve lost control of your party and this has become a confidence issue, not in parliament but in you,” she said.
“Do you accept that, and will you call an election if you lose these votes?”
Mr Sunak dodged the question and said he wanted to “finish the job”, adding: “I am confident I can get this thing done.”
The government published the long-awaited Safety of Rwanda Bill just a day after Home Secretary James Cleverly visited the country to sign a new treaty aimed at reviving the government’s troubled plan to send asylum seekers there.
In its judgement last month, the UK’s highest court ruled the scheme unlawful on the grounds people could be returned to their home countries and face harm, a process known as refoulement that would breach international law.
The emergency bill was designed to appease both wings of the Conservative Party – the right wing and the more moderate One Nation group – by allowing the UK to disapply aspects of the Human Rights Act but not the legislation in its entirety.
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‘Why did you resign, sir?’
But the Tory right – including Mr Jenrick and former home secretary Suella Braverman – want the bill to disregard the entire Human Rights Act with regard to asylum cases, as well as include extra powers to dismiss challenges under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).
Speaking to the BBC today, Ms Braverman was clear in her belief that unless the prime minister chose to “change course” and alter the bill to “totally exclude international law”, it would “fail”.
Mr Sunak said the new bill “fundamentally addresses” the issues brought up by the Supreme Court and would allow flights to take off to Rwanda.
He said Mr Jenrick was “not right” in his assessment and denied suggestions he would fail to keep his promises on immigration.
“No, he’s simply not right, actually,” he told reporters.
Sunak has picked a side – we must wait and see if his party tear him down
Rishi Sunak has just done something very important.
He has placed his stake in the ground, absolutely unambiguously, about how he is, and how he isn’t, going to tackle illegal migration.
In doing so, he has picked a side and now we wait to see whether his party go along with her or tear him down.
Mr Sunak made the argument in that press conference that he has come up with the toughest-ever, and toughest possible, approach to try and get this Rwanda policy actually into action.
But he is not doing that by leaving international conventions and international laws, he’s gone as far he as he thinks he can go without doing that.
He was effectively explaining that to the British public.
He was saying we’re going to pass a law that simply says Rwanda is safe. He said we’re going to pass a law that domestic courts can’t take account of international law and the European Convention on Human Rights.
But he drew the line at actually leaving these international obligations and saying that we were going to ignore final judgments from the Strasbourg court.
He did so, saying that if he went any further Rwanda would collapse the Rwanda deal.
But he has decided not to make this a back me or sack me moment.
We’re about to have this piece of legislation that he’s going to try and get through the Houses of Parliament.
But he is not confident enough to say this is what is known as a matter of confidence. In other words, if his MPs don’t back him in sufficient numbers, and this piece of legislation falls, there will be an election.
It is quite clear Mr Sunak is putting all of his eggs into the basket of trying to get this bill through.
It only takes 29 Tory MPs to vote against it for the government to lose and who knows what happens then.
“For the people who say ‘you should do something different’, the difference between them and me is an inch, given everything that we have closed. We’re talking about an inch.
“That inch by the way is the difference between the Rwandans participating in this scheme and not.”
Pressed again on whether the vote on the Rwanda policy should be treated as a vote of confidence in his leadership, he replied: “No, but what this vote is about is about confidence in parliament.”
Read more:
Rishi Sunak facing political fight of his life as he wars with right wing Tories over Rwanda bill
Robert Jenrick’s resignation letter and Rishi Sunak’s response in full
He said “the question now is to the Labour Party” and whether it would back the bill – something the party has confirmed it would not do.
Speaking to Sky News this morning, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden said the government was “tearing itself apart” over the Rwanda scheme.
“The prime minister admitted that the Rwandan government had had to warn the UK government not to break international law,” he said.
“You’ve got to wonder what is the point of them if they’re just going to carry on like this?”
Politics
Labour deputy leadership candidate accuses opponent’s team of ‘throwing mud’ and briefing against her
Lucy Powell has accused Bridget Phillipson’s team of “throwing mud” and briefing against her in the Labour deputy leadership race in a special episode of Sky’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast.
With just days to go until the race is decided, Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby spoke to the two leadership rivals about allegations of leaks, questions of party unity and their political vision.
Ms Powell told Electoral Dysfunction that through the course of the contest, she had “never leaked or briefed”.
But she said of negative stories about her in the media: “I think some of these things have also come from my opponent’s team as well. And I think they need calling out.
“We are two strong women standing in this contest. We’ve both got different things to bring to the job. I’m not going to get into the business of smearing and briefing against Bridget.
“Having us airing our dirty washing, throwing mud – both in this campaign or indeed after this if I get elected as deputy leader – that is not the game that I’m in.”
Ms Powell was responding to a “Labour source” who told the New Statesman last week: “Lucy was sacked from cabinet because she couldn’t be trusted not to brief or leak.”
Ms Powell said she had spoken directly to Ms Phillipson about allegations of briefings “a little bit”.
Bridget Phillipson (l) and Lucy Powell (r) spoke to Sky News’ Beth Rigby in a special Electoral Dysfunction double-header. Pics: Reuters
Phillipson denies leaks
But asked separately if her team had briefed against Ms Powell, Ms Phillipson told Rigby: “Not to my knowledge.”
And Ms Phillipson said she had not spoken “directly” to her opponent about the claims of negative briefings, despite Ms Powell saying the pair had talked about it.
“I don’t know if there’s been any discussion between the teams,” she added.
On the race itself, the education secretary said it would be “destabilising” if Ms Powell is elected, as she is no longer in the cabinet.
“I think there is a risk that comes of airing too much disagreement in public at a time when we need to focus on taking the fight to our opponents.
“I know Lucy would reject that, but I think that is for me a key choice that members are facing.”
She added: “It’s about the principle of having that rule outside of government that risks being the problem. I think I’ll be able to get more done in government.”
👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈
Insider vs outsider
But Ms Powell, who was recently sacked by Sir Keir Starmer as leader of the Commons, said she could “provide a stronger, more independent voice”.
“The party is withering on the vine at the same time, and people have got big jobs in government to do.
“Politics is moving really, really fast. Government is very, very slow. And I think having a full-time political deputy leader right now is the political injection we need.”
The result of the contest will be announced on Saturday 25 October.
The deputy leader has the potential to be a powerful and influential figure as the link between members and the parliamentary Labour Party, and will have a key role in election campaigns. They can’t be sacked by Sir Keir as they have their own mandate.
The contest was triggered by the resignation of Angela Rayner following a row over her tax affairs. She was also the deputy prime minister but this position was filled by David Lammy in a wider cabinet reshuffle.
HMRC sent nearly 65,000 warning letters to crypto investors last year, more than double the previous year, as the UK steps up efforts to trace undeclared capital gains.
Politics
‘Additional resources’ offered by govt to reverse ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at Villa game
The government says it is exploring what “additional resources and support are required” to allow “all fans” to attend Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match against Aston Villa next month.
Supporters of the Israeli side have been told they are not allowed to attend November’s game in Birmingham after a decision by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG).
The group – made up of local stakeholders, including representatives from the council, police and event organisers – said the decision was due to a high risk of violence based on “current intelligence and previous incidents”.
Politics live: MPs react to Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban
The decision has been criticised across the political spectrum, with Sir Keir Starmer describing it as a “wrong decision” while Tory opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called it a “national disgrace”.
In a statement on Friday night, a government spokesperson said: “No one should be stopped from watching a football game simply because of who they are.
“The government is working with policing and other partners to do everything in our power to ensure this game can safely go ahead, with all fans present.
“We are exploring what additional resources and support are required so all fans can attend.”
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Birmingham residents react to the Maccabi fan ban
Meanwhile, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Antisemitism is a stain on our society that shames us all. Every football fan, whoever they are, should be able to watch their team in safety.
“This government is doing everything in our power to ensure all fans can safely attend the game.”
The prime minister’s spokesman previously said Sir Keir would “do everything in his power to give Jewish communities the security they deserve”.
Read more:
Why are fans banned – and has this happened before?
How this raises questions about one of the UK’s biggest cities
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Badenoch: Fan ban a ‘national disgrace’
The Home Office offered to provide more police for the event, while Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Communities Secretary Steve Reed also intervened.
However, senior police insisted the ban was necessary and cited clashes and hate crime offences committed when the Israeli team travelled to Amsterdam to play Ajax last year.
The Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv match – set to take place on Thursday 6 November – is a Europa League fixture.
UEFA, which runs the tournament, had urged UK authorities to ensure away fans could attend.
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