Government suffers third defeat in Lords on Rwanda bill
The government has lost the third Rwanda vote in the Lords. Amendment B2 (see 5.52pm) was passed by 276 votes to 226 – a majority of 50.
This says that it will be up to the independent monitoring committee to say when the Rwanda treaty has been implemented. Peers have already passed an amendment saying, until the treaty has been implemented, deportation flights cannot start.
Key events
Government suffers fourth Rwanda bill defeat, with peers voting to say Rwanda can be ruled unsafe for some refugees
The government lost the fourth vote too, by 263 votes to 233 – a majority of 30.
This means amendment D1 passes, saying ministers or immigrations officials should have the power under the bill to say that Rwanda is not a safe country for a particular person, or group of people.
That is the smallest opposition majority tonight.
In the Lords peers are now voting on amendment D1 – an amendment tabled by Labour’s Shami Chakrabarti that would allow ministers or immigrations officials to say that Rwanda is not a safe country for a particular person, or group of people.
Government suffers third defeat in Lords on Rwanda bill
The government has lost the third Rwanda vote in the Lords. Amendment B2 (see 5.52pm) was passed by 276 votes to 226 – a majority of 50.
This says that it will be up to the independent monitoring committee to say when the Rwanda treaty has been implemented. Peers have already passed an amendment saying, until the treaty has been implemented, deportation flights cannot start.
Rishi Sunak seemed to make a reasonably good impression at the 1922 Committee, according to journalists who have been speaking to Tory MPs who heard him.
From the Times’ Aubrey Allegretti
Lots of frontbenchers have been positive about Sunak’s performance so far. But a backbencher says: “Pep talk fine. Rest very flat but will get him through to 2 May.”
— Aubrey Allegretti (@breeallegretti) March 20, 2024
Lots of frontbenchers have been positive about Sunak’s performance so far. But a backbencher says: “Pep talk fine. Rest very flat but will get him through to 2 May.”
Lots of Sunak loyalists asking questions.
“Everyone speaking said the minority causing trouble just need to shut the fuck up,” was one MP’s pithy explanation.
Liam Fox stood up and pointed out to colleagues that no Tory elected in 1997 went on to be PM. Ie that anyone thinking an electoral defeat soon would help their own personal leadership ambitions should be very careful.
Someone jokingly raised a point of order and Theresa May pointed out she was returned in 1997.
Cue gushing tributes from the PM to May…
From Newsnight’s Nicholas Watt
Very positive response from Tory MPs as they leave 1922 after Rishi Sunak appearance. “Brilliant”. “He pulled it round”
— Nicholas Watt (@nicholaswatt) March 20, 2024
Very positive response from Tory MPs as they leave 1922 after Rishi Sunak appearance. “Brilliant”. “He pulled it round”
From Bloomberg’s Kitty Donaldson
NEW via @PronouncedAlva & me
Rishi Sunak told the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories that the “small number” of rebels in his party were making him “angry”
Sunak described as “fired up” by witnesses
— Kitty Donaldson (@kitty_donaldson) March 20, 2024
Rishi Sunak told the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories that the “small number” of rebels in his party were making him “angry”
Sunak described as “fired up” by witnesses
In the Lords peers are now voting on amendment B2, a supplementary amendment to the one passed just now saying Rwanda will only be considered a safe country when the provisions of the Rwanda treaty have been implemented.
Amendment B2 says it will be up to the independent monitoring committee to say when the treaty has been implemented.
Government suffers second Rwanda bill defeat as peers vote to block deportations until treaty provisions implemented
The government has lost the second vote in the Lords on the Rwanda bill. By 285 to 230, a majority of 55, peers voted to say Rwanda will only be considered a safe country when the provisons of the Rwanda treaty have been implemented.
Here are some more tweets from journalists who have been doorstepping the 1922 Committee.
All agree, essentially, that it is hard to find any group of people as insincere as Tory MPs loudly expressing support for their leader.
From Peter Walker
Rishi Sunak has just arrived at a meeting of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers to a tumultuous and lengthy banging on the desks in the committee room. Going by my usual PMQs metric that the louder the shouts from MPs the more worried they actually are, he’s in trouble.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) March 20, 2024
From Kevin Schofield from Politics Home
Very loud – some might over the top – banging of desks and cheering as Rishi Sunak enters the 1922 Committee.
— Kevin Schofield (@KevinASchofield) March 20, 2024
From Aubrey Allegretti from the Times
Rishi Sunak enters the 1922 Committee to thunderous desk banging – longer than 30 seconds. But as one MP remarked to me earlier: “The louder the banging, the more trouble they’re in.” Cabinet ministers also in the room, not just backbenchers..,
— Aubrey Allegretti (@breeallegretti) March 20, 2024
After much banging of desks and cheering when Sunak entered, the PM joked MPs were all so pleased because there would be a one-line whip next week.
— Aubrey Allegretti (@breeallegretti) March 20, 2024
From Adam Bienkov from Byline Times
As with other recently-junked Conservative leaders, the volume and sheer length of desk-banging greeting Rishi Sunak’s arrival at the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs just now appears to be in indirect relation to his actual support in the party
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) March 20, 2024
In the Lords peers are now voting on Lord Hope’s amendment B1, which says Rwanda will be regarded as a safe country “when the arrangements provided for in the Rwanda treaty have been fully implemented and for as long as they to continue to be so”.
How government cut opposition majority for ‘international law’ amendment to Rwanda bill from 102 to 43
Here is the breakdown of the vote in favour of the first amendment. (See 4.55pm.)
For
Bishops: 4
Crossbenchers: 57
Labour: 128
Lib Dems: 71
Others: 11
Total: 271
Against
Conservatives: 204
Crossbenchers: 16
Others: 8
Total: 228
And, for comparison, here are the figures when the Lords voted on an earlier version of this amendment in early March.
For
Bishops: 4
Conservatives: 4
Crossbenchers: 62
Labour: 123
Lib Dems: 70
Others: 11
Total: 274
Against
Conservatives: 161
Crossbenchers: 5
Others: 6
Total: 172
Last time the government lost by a majority of 102. Today the government lost by a majority of 43. Broadly speaking, that means the government has rustled up 59 extra votes.
These figures show that the main changes today are a big increase in the number of Tory peers turning up to vote for the government (up from 161 to 204 – and increase of 43) and a significant increase in the number of crossbenchers voting with the government (up from 5 to 16 – and increase of 11).
There are also four Tory peers who were willing to vote for this amendment last time (Ken Clarke, John Gummer, Viscount Hailsham and Lord Tugendhat) who did not do so this afternoon.
Meanwhile, in another room in the Houses of Parliament, Rishi Sunak is addressing the Conservative 1922 Committee.
David Wilcock from MailOnline says Sunak received the traditional table-banging welcome.
Rishi Sunak in with Tory backbenchers at 1922 committee. The usual banging of tables audible through the panelled walls of the committee corridor.
— David Wilcock (@DavidTWilcock) March 20, 2024
In the House of Lords peers are now debating amendments saying the provisions in the Rwanda bill should only come into force when it has been established that Rwanda has complied with the terms of its treaty with the UK, which should reform the way it handles asylum cases.
Lord Hope of Craighead, a former deputy president of the supreme court, who has tabled these amendments, says he is not questioning the good faith of the Rwandan government.
He says he just wants to ensure the treaty is implemented.
