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The House of Commons has rejected the House of Lords’ first attempt to amend the Safety of Rwanda Bill – with the legislation sent back to the upper chamber.

A total of 10 amendments were put before MPs, but Conservatives voted each of them down.

Among the changes proposed by peers was scrapping the government’s plan to force judges to consider Rwanda as a safe country.

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They also want to allow politicians and judges to consider evidence of whether Rwanda is safe – something which is prevented by the proposed law.

Another change suggested would prevent those who had served with or for the British armed forces from being sent to Rwanda if they arrived illegally in the UK.

The Commons debated the amendments for around four hours before voting began, with both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer both in attendance when divisions began.

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How MPs voted on the amendments

  • Amendment one: Seeks to ensure bill is fully compliant with rule of law – Rejected 328 to 250;
  • Amendment two: Removes claim that Rwanda is
  • Amendment three: Provides mechanism for parliament to be informed about treaty – Rejected 324 to 253;
  • Amendment four: Allows presumption Rwanda is safe to be rebutted with credible evidence – Rejected 321 to 252;
  • Amendment five: Allows courts to consider appeals based on the safety of Rwanda – Rejected 322 to 249;
  • Amendment six: Restores ability of courts and tribunals to consider if Rwanda is safe – Rejected 324 to 251;
  • Amendment seven: Courts can consider review claims regarding removals of children – Rejected 320 to 250;
  • Amendment eight: Parliament must be given a timeline for removals – Rejected 318 to 255;
  • Amendment nine: Seeks to protect victims of modern slavery from being deported – Rejected 320 to 251;
  • Amendment ten: Exempts armed forces personnel, their dependants and families from removal – Rejected 312 to 255.

MPs on opposition benches spoke in support of the amendments proposed by the upper chamber.

Labour’s shadow Home Office minister, Stephen Kinnock, said: “They each serve to make this shambolic mess of a Bill marginally less absurd, and as I will come to in a second, they would serve only to put in statute what ministers have actually promised from that despatch box.”

There was also opposition from the SNP’s Joanna Cherry, who said: “Based on the evidence I have read, and the evidence the Joint Committee on Human Rights has heard so far, based on what I heard and saw on the ground in Kigali, I remain of the view that Rwanda is still not a safe country for asylum seekers.”

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The Green Party’s Caroline Lucas called the bill an “extraordinary and profound attack” on constitutional democracy.

And the Conservative former minister Sir Jeremy Wright said he was “troubled” by the “absolutist, if not eternalist, nature of the wording of the bill”.

Tory former minister Sir Robert Buckland said he was minded to support some of the amendments, and indeed voted in favour of the second and fourth.

But there was support for the government from its backbenches during the debate.

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Which countries send asylum seekers abroad?

Sir Bill Cash said one of the amendments threatened parliamentary sovereignty and was “one of the most serious and dangerous clauses that I have seen in recent statutory history”.

And Richard Graham said the amendments were “not relevant” to what the government was trying to do.

The Lords are set to consider the bill with its removed amendments on Wednesday.

Home Office minister Michael Tomlinson emphasised the government’s belief that Rwanda is safe, following the agreement of a new treaty.

This sought to address concerns raised by the Supreme Court when they ruled previous legislation incompatible with human rights laws.

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Mr Tomlinson said: “It is the treaty, the bill and the published evidence pack which together demonstrate that Rwanda is safe for relocated individuals and that the government’s approach is tough but fair and lawful.

“The government is clear that we’ve assessed Rwanda to be safe and we’ve published evidence to substantiate that point.”

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Boy, 14, dies and another boy, 13, in critical condition after entering River Tyne

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Boy, 14, dies and another boy, 13, in critical condition after entering River Tyne

A 14-year-old boy has died and a 13-year-old boy is in a critical condition after getting into difficulty in the River Tyne.

Emergency teams launched a large rescue operation yesterday afternoon after receiving reports two boys had got into trouble in the water near Ovingham, Northumberland.

One of the boys, aged 13, was rescued from the river and taken to hospital, where he remains “in a critical condition”, Northumbria Police said in a statement on Sunday morning.

Ovingham Bridge on the River Tyne which connects Ovingham with Prudhoe. Pic: Google Streetview
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Ovingham Bridge on the River Tyne connects Ovingham with Prudhoe. Pic: Google Street View

Police cordon set up near Prudhoe, across the River Tyne from Ovingham
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Police cordon set up near Prudhoe, across the River Tyne from Ovingham

A huge search, which involved the police, ambulance, fire and mountain rescue services, then continued as crews raced to find the second boy.

“Sadly, the 14-year-old’s body was later found in the water and he was pronounced dead at the scene,” police said.

Police cordon set up near Prudhoe, across the river from Ovingham
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A police cordon was set up across a footpath near Prudhoe, across the River Tyne from Ovingham

Chief Superintendent Helena Barron, of Northumbria Police, said it was an “absolutely tragic incident”.

She added: “Our thoughts are with the families of both boys at this difficult time as we continue to support them.

“A number of agencies were involved in the incident and their support was hugely appreciated.

“It is with great sadness that we could not provide a more positive update.”

Police said the parents of both boys are being supported by specially-trained officers.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe scolds Tories over handling of economy and immigration after Brexit

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe scolds Tories over handling of economy and immigration after Brexit

Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has told Sky News that Britain is ready for a change of government after scolding the Conservatives over their handling of the economy and immigration after Brexit.

While insisting his petrochemicals conglomerate INEOS is apolitical, Sir Jim backed Brexit and spent last weekend with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at Manchester United – the football club he now runs as minority owner.

“I’m sure Keir will do a very good job at running the country – I have no questions about that,” Sir Jim said in an exclusive interview.

“There’s no question that the Conservatives have had a good run,” he added. “I think most of the country probably feels it’s time for a change. And I sort of get that, really.”

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Sir Jim was a prominent backer of leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum but now has issues with how Brexit was delivered by Tory prime ministers.

“Brexit sort of unfortunately didn’t turn out as people anticipated because… Brexit was largely about immigration,” Sir Jim said.

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“That was the biggest component of that vote. People were getting fed up with the influx of the city of Southampton coming in every year. I think last year it was two times Southampton.

“I mean, no small island like the UK could cope with vast numbers of people coming into the UK.

“I mean, it just overburdens the National Health Service, the traffic service, the police, everybody.

“The country was designed for 55 or 60 million people and we’ve got 70 million people and all the services break down as a consequence.

“That’s what Brexit was all about and nobody’s implemented that. They just keep talking about it. But nothing’s been done, which is why I think we’ll finish up with the change of government.”

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UK needs to get ‘sharper on the business front’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indicated an election is due this year but Monaco-based Sir Jim is unimpressed by the Conservatives’ handling of the economy.

“The UK does need to get a bit sharper on the business front,” he said. “I think the biggest objective for the government is to create growth in the economy.

“There’s two parts of the economy, there’s the services side of the economy and there’s the manufacturing side. And the manufacturing, unfortunately, has been sliding away now for the last 25 years.

“We were very similar in scale to Germany probably 25 years ago.

“But today we’re just a fraction of where Germany is and I think that isn’t healthy for the British economy… particularly when you think the north of England is very manufacturing based, and that talks to things like energy competitiveness, it talks to things like, why do you put an immensely high tax on the North Sea?

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments carry weight because of who he is.

A billionaire business boss and Brexit backer who employs thousands of people should be naturally allied to the Tories.

Instead he seems to be calling time on them. Symbolically, that matters.

But what’s more important is that this mirrors what appears to be going on in business more broadly.

Labour has made a concerted effort to woo the private sector, with senior figures embarking on a “smoked salmon offensive” of breakfast meetings with top executives. And it’s working.

Commerce events held by Labour now pack out as firms pick up on the electoral direction of travel. Tensions still exist though.

Labour plans for a strengthening of workers’ rights and union power unnerve some.

Then there’s the persistent worry about the wider instincts of the party towards the commercial sector.

Or to put it another way, there are plenty of people in Labour that think someone like Sir Jim – a billionaire petro-chemical boss based in tax-free Monaco – is not part of the solution, but part of the problem.

“That just disincentivises people from finding hydrocarbons in the North Sea, in energy.

“And what we need is competitive energy. So I mean, in America, in the energy world, in the oil and gas world, they just apply a corporation tax to the oil and gas companies, which is about 30%. And in the UK we’ve got this tax of 75% because we want to kill off the oil and gas companies.

“But if we don’t have competitive energy, we’re not going to have a healthy manufacturing industry. And that just makes no sense to me at all. No.”

‘We’re apolitical’

Asked about INEOS donating to Labour, Sir Jim replied: “We’re apolitical, INEOS.

“We just want a successful manufacturing sector in the UK and we’ve talked to the government about that. It’s pretty clear about our views.”

Sir Jim was keener to talk about the economy and politics than his role at struggling Manchester United, which he bought a 27.7% stake in from the American Glazer family in February – giving him an even higher business profile.

Old Trafford stadium in Manchester. Pic: AP
Image:
Old Trafford stadium in Manchester. Pic: AP

Push for stadium of the North

He is continuing to push for public funds to regenerate Old Trafford and the surrounding areas despite no apparent political support being forthcoming. Sir Keir was hosted at the stadium for a Premier League match last weekend just as heavy rain exposed the fragility of the ageing venue.

“There’s a very good case, in my view, for having a stadium of the North, which would serve the northern part of the country in that arena of football,” Sir Jim said. “If you look at the number of Champions League the North West has won, it’s 10. London has won two.

“And yet everybody from the North has to get down to London to watch a big football match. And there should be one [a large stadium] in the North, in my view.

“But it’s also important for the southern side of Manchester, you know, to regenerate.

“It’s the sort of second capital of the country where the Industrial Revolution began.

“But if you have a regeneration project, you need a nucleus or a regeneration project and having that world-class stadium there, I think would provide the impetus to regenerate that region.”

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Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice denies claims of ‘abusive or threatening behaviour’ on show

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Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice denies claims of 'abusive or threatening behaviour' on show

Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice has rejected allegations that he displayed “abusive or threatening behaviour” while working as a professional dancer on the show.

The 33-year-old Italian dancer said he was “surprised” amid reports the BBC is looking into complaints about his conduct.

A legal firm acting on behalf of the complainants said the broadcaster is “evidence gathering” – but the BBC has not confirmed that any probe has been launched.

In the statement shared on Instagram, Pernice wrote: “To my dear fans, you will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.

“Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name.”

He added: “Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive.

“No one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me.

“I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be.

“This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win – for me and my dance partners.”

Pernice signed off the message by writing: “Thank you all once again for your continued love and support! Giovanni.”

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A statement from law firm Carter-Ruck to the PA news agency said: “There have been numerous serious complaints made to the BBC who are now in the process of evidence gathering.

“As it is still an ongoing matter no further comment can be made at this stage.”

The Sun, which first reported suggestions that an investigation was underway, also claimed Pernice had quit the show.

Neither the BBC nor Pernice has confirmed his departure.

Sicily-born Pernice has been on the BBC One celebrity dancing show since 2015.

In 2021, he lifted the Strictly glitterball trophy for the first time alongside EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, who was the first deaf contestant to win. He had appeared in three show finals previously.

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He also holds the Guinness World Record for most jive kick and flicks in 30 seconds, which he achieved on the BBC’s Strictly It Takes Two show in 2016.

The BBC was approached by Sky News but declined to comment.

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