Rwanda bill – latest: Sunak to hold press conference after seeing off rebellion and letters of no confidence

“Multiple” no confidence letters have been submitted against Rishi Sunak over the Rwanda vote, it is claimed.

Rebel MPs opposed to the prime minister told LBC they were unhappy about how No 10 handled the vote, with some describing it as the final straw.

They said they had held back on putting in letters in December when the bill had its second reading in the Commons.

Lord Carlile, the former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, said Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill is “a step toward totalitarianism”, Archie Mitchell reports.

The crossbench peer, a leading critic of the policy in the House of Lords, said the government had sought to “elevate itself to an unacceptable level above the law”.

“The damage that’s done when governments use perceived, and often ill-judged, political imperatives to place themselves above the court… this is a step towards totalitarianism,” Lord Carlile said.

And, addressing criticism of lawyers and judges frustrating the policy, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This has not been the judges meddling in politics, rather it’s been the government elevating itself to an unacceptable level above the law, above our much admired Supreme Court and above the reputation for integrity internationally of UK law.”

There will be “significant attempts” to kill the Rwanda Bill in the House of Lords, a crossbench peer has warned.

Alex Carlile, a prominent barrister, told the Politico website he would support colleagues planning to scupper the government’s flagship immigration policy.

The upper chamber usually defers to the Commons when legislation passes with a significant majority but this custom could be “tested”.

“When the chips are down — and we’re talking about international treaty obligations, and the reputation of the British legal and parliamentary system — then the House of Lords can take a much more punctilious view”, he said.

But the Labour Party has reportedly said it would stand by the convention, making it much more difficult for rebel peers to reach the required numbers to inflict a defeat on the government.

Rishi Sunak has faced a week of rebellion after 60 of his own Conservative MPs backed rebel amendments to his flagship policy.

Rishi Sunak has emerged “stronger” after a Tory rebellion over his Rwanda plan receded, Home Office minister Chris Philp has said, despite three resignations.

Asked whether the prime minister was “stronger or weaker” after the passing of the Bill but the departures of two Tory deputy chairmen and a ministerial aide, Mr Philp told LBC: “I think to the extent it has any impact on that, probably stronger.”

You can watch a clip from the exchange below:

Tory rightwingers who think Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan is not robust enough will now focus on trying to get the prime minister to quit the European Court of Human Rights.

MPs who voted against the bill or abstained told the i Mr Sunak must prove the legislation works by getting flights off to Rwanda by the spring or face “big trouble”.

“If he can do that it will be a big moment for Tory election chances,” one source told the paper.

Labour’s lead over the Conservatives has increased to 27 points, according to a poll.

The latest YouGov survey for the Times, conducted on 16 and 17 January, had the opposition up two points to 47 per cent.

The Tories were down two points to 20 per cent, with the Lib Dems on 8 per cent (-1), Reform UK on 12 per cent (+2) and the Green on 7 per cent (-1)

Home Office minister Chris Philp insisted he would not need to advise civil servants to break international law to override so-called rule 39 injunctions on the Rwanda plan.

Asked whether he would be advising officials to disregard international obligations if Strasbourg orders threaten to obstruct flights taking off, he told BBC Breakfast: “No, because international law means our treaty obligations to be clear.

“There is no reference in the treaty we signed back in 1950 to these rule 39 injunctions and the power provided for in the Bill is a lawful power.”

Home Office minister Chris Philp said Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill should pass through the Lords “fairly fast” because it is relatively short.

The legislation is expected to face serious challenges in the upper chamber.

Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Philp said: “It’s a pretty short Bill, which means it should be able to get through the House of Lords fairly fast.”