A Cabinet Minister has denied that the Government’s new Rwanda legislation is “dead on arrival” following the resignation of Robert Jenrick last night.
Rishi Sunak was once again plunged into chaos yesterday evening when his immigration minister quit over concerns the new stop the boats legislation didn’t go far enough.
This morning the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said the legislation “is going to work, and no it is not dead on arrival, not in the slightest”.
The Cabinet Minister argued the bill is the “strongest piece of anti-illegal migration legislation this country has ever had”.
Asked what Mr Jenrick’s resignation said about Rishi Sunak’s authority, Mr Heaton-Harris argued the ex-immigration minister had been “helping to deliver this strongest package of measures ever”.
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In Mr Sunak’s reply to Robert Jenrick’s letter of resignation, the PM said the key Home Office minister’s departure “is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation”.
He added: “If we were to oust the courts entirely, we would collapse the entire scheme”.
“The Rwandan Government have been clear that they would not accept the UK basing this scheme on legislation that could be considered in breach of our international law obligations.”
Last night the Rwanda Government issued a statement claiming a so-called full fat notwithstanding clause, entirely ruling out any ECHR involvement, would have gone too far and they demanded the UK Government comply with international law.
However one Tory source said that claim was “desperate spin from Downing Street”, and another senior Tory MP said the Government may have asked Rwanda to issue the statement to give them an excuse for not going as far as many on the right wanted.
This morning Labour also confirmed they will vote against the Bill, meaning Rishi Sunak can likely afford around 26 Tory rebels.
Asked if Britain could end up receiving Rwandan refugees before the UK deports any migrants there, Mr Heaton-Harris told the BBC: “I honestly do not know the answer to that question”.
He also downplayed rumours the vote could be treated as a confidence vote in the Government, which if lost would spark a general election.
Mr Jenrick’s resignation last night rocked the Tory Party, with his letter saying the Bill is a “triumph of hope over experience”.
“The stakes for the country are too high for us not to pursue the stronger protections required to end the merry-go-round of legal challenges which risk paralysing the scheme and negating its intended deterrent.”
Mark Francois said his departure was “deeply worrying” and added Mr Jenrick is a “good man”.
Dame Andrea Jenkyns said his resignation “may be the death knell for Sunak’s leadership”.
Tory MP Adam Holloway said Mr Sunak is blocking the “will of the people”, and he “completely agrees” with Suella Braverman that the Tory party faces “electoral oblivion” unless they stop the boats.
