David Cameron believes the Rwanda bill was dramatically cut the number of small boat crossings (Image: Getty)
David Cameron has urged warring Tories to unite behind Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as his premiership was pushed to the brink.
The Foreign Secretary on Monday night insisted that planned new laws to get deportation flights to Rwanda off the ground “will stop the boats”. Lord Cameron’s intervention came on a day of high drama in Westminster as Tory factions called for the bill to be ditched.
Mr Sunak is facing a crunch vote on Tuesday night that he must win to keep the plans – and his premiership – on track.
Lord Cameron told the Daily Express: “If we want to stop the boats, to stop this illegal migration, you simply have to have a strong deterrence policy, and this legislation will achieve that.
“I saw it when I was in office when there were huge numbers of people going from Turkey to Greece. And everyone thought that would never be stopped.
Don’t miss… In five words, the ERG shows how bloody the Rwanda bill war may become
“But actually, once there was an agreement that anyone who arrived on a dinghy from Turkey to Greece went back to Turkey, and the Turks took them back, the number almost collapsed overnight.
“The government has managed to achieve a new treaty with Rwanda very quickly, which many people thought we wouldn’t. Now we have legislation to put this policy beyond doubt. With the MP’s backing, this is a plan that will stop the boats”.
Mr Sunak was given a boost last night when centrist MPs from the 100-strong One Nation group of Conservatives agreed to back the Safety of Rwanda Bill at its second reading on Tuesday despite their concerns it bends the rule of law.
Chairman Damian Green said: “We have taken the decision that the most important thing at this stage is to support the Bill despite our real concerns.
“We strongly urge the Government to stand firm against any attempt to amend the Bill in a way that would make it unacceptable to those who believe that support for the rule of law is a basic Conservative principle.”
David Cameron is urging Tory MPs to back Rishi Sunak as his premiership is on the brink of collapse (Image: Getty)
But Mr Sunak faces a difficult meeting on Tuesday morning with the New Conservatives, made up mainly of red wall MPs, that want the legislation to go further. After a meeting last night, which was attended by former home secretary Suella Braverman and ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick, they called for “major surgery” to the bill.
A New Conservative source said “we have got the numbers” to defeat the bill and suggested Mr Sunak would pull the vote.
A spokesman for the group said: “More than 40 colleagues met tonight to discuss the bill. Every member of that discussion said the bill needs major surgery or replacement and they will be making that plain in the morning to the PM at breakfast and over the next 24 hours.”
Representatives from the group, along with four other right-wing factions – the European Research Group, the Conservative Growth Group, the Northern Research Group and the Common Sense Group – met yesterday (MON) to consider the verdict of a “star chamber” of lawyers.
ERG chairman Mark Francois called on the Prime Minister to “pull” the legislation because it was an “incomplete” solution to problems posed by small boat asylum claims.
Conservative MP David Jones, a member of the Star Chamber, warned trying to tweak the legislation would not resolve the problems with it. He said: “I don’t think the Bill is easily amendable. And, really, I think the Government needs to review it and maybe consider a completely new piece of legislation.”
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
David Cameron warns of ‘daunting times’ across the globe
No government has suffered a defeat at the second reading stage of a proposed law’s progress since 1986. Home Secretary James Cleverly insisted the government is “determined” to get bill through amid speculation the PM will pull the vote if he fears losing it.
Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, who has previously been forced out of government in rows over policy, urged MPs to get behind the Prime Minister.
He said: “All I’d say to these people is, and I said it to their face as well, is that at this stage, I understand as a man who has been sacked from government twice on policy issues, I totally understand why people want to see their policies enacted by government.
“This close to an election, all you’re doing is not losing you your seat, you’re just losing people like me my seat. I’m on the front line, I’m fighting Labour hand to hand every week and all that division is doing is losing people like me their seat.
“So I understand people’s policy differences. But at the end of the day, politics is a team sport.
“This Prime Minister will go as far as he possibly can. He knows all the constraints he’s operating in. And at some point, you have to defer to that and get behind him and support him in what is a very difficult moment.”
Conservative MP Bob Seely said it was time for Tory MPs to “get a grip”. He said: “I will be voting for the bill. I’m getting a bit fed up with some of my colleagues. The issue is whether we can have a narrow election victory or we play things badly and we are out of power for at least a decade.
“Some of my colleagues need to get a grip. We need to be united and take the fight to Labour. Labour are the weakest potential government in at least a generation, if not several.
“We can not give them an easy ride into power. And right now, we are giving a truly talentless bunch of second-rates an easy ride.”
Tory peer Lord Vaizey said Conservative infighting over the Rwanda policy “makes Monty Python look like a rank amateur”.
“This is (a) unique position where there are 100 MPs on the right who want to vote against it and 100 MPs on the left who want to vote against it,” he said. “There are now five right-wing factions in the Tory Party. It makes Monty Python look like a rank amateur.”
