Robert Jenrick has accused Rishi Sunak of misleading the public about Rwanda.
The former immigration minister yesterday lashed out at the prime minister, claiming he was deliberately pretending that new laws designed to kick migrants off small boats would work. Hitting out at the prime minister’s emergency legislation designed to save his deportation scheme from Rwanda, Mr Jenrick said:
A political choice has been made to bring forward a bill that doesn’t do the job.
Accusing Mr Sunak of fearing criticism if he took a tougher stance on the European Convention on Human Rights, he said:
We’re not sent to Parliament to be concerned about our reputations on the gilded international circuit.
Fierce allies of the Prime Minister last night accused the outgoing minister of manoeuvring to further his own career. Mr Jenrick denied the allegation, however, a government source said:
Robert has changed his tune dramatically, leading people to conclude this is more about his career ambitions than policy principle. People are baffled by his behaviour.
Rishi Sunak responded to this:
Robert has acted on principle. No10 seem to be playing the man, not the ball.
Meanwhile Gary Lineker last night backed the call to scrap the Rwanda scheme, than risked sparking fresh controversy. The Match of the Day presenter joined other celebrities in support of the Together with Refugees campaign.
The letter to party leaders calls for “protecting people fleeing war and persecution by upholding the UK’s obligations under international law regarding the right to asylum and cancelling the Rwanda scheme”.
MPs are studying the details of Mr Sunak’s new bill, which would declare Rwanda a safe country to deport migrants after the Supreme Court blocked the plan last month. Ahead of the first vote on the bill, it is being criticised by right-wingers who want to toughen it and left-wing Tories who want to soften it. A key point for critics is whether potential deportees will have a right of personal appeal. Critics say this means the whole system will once again be flooded with far-fetched complaints.
But No10 sources say that under the new legislation only one in 200 people will be able to make a successful appeal.
Mr Jenrick yesterday confirmed he would not support the “weak” bill in its current form, offering an abstention on the vote. Several other MPs are expected to join him, but other rebels last night suggested they would vote in favour of the bill but then seek to amend it.
Such a move would avert a major political crisis for the Prime Minister before Christmas, but would push the battle over Britain’s relationship with the Strasbourg court into the new year. Michael Gove defended the legislation as “tough and robust”. He also emphasised that ministers were not considering a general election if they lost the vote.
