'Desperate to delay!' Outrage as Labour block Rwanda bill in double hammer blow to Sunak

Meddling Lords stand accused of being more interested in stopping migrant flights to Rwanda than perilous Channel crossings after once again hindering the democratic process.

Unelected Peers last night voted to block the Rwanda bill for a third time despite it being given the go-ahead by MPs in the Commons.

Labour, Liberal Democrat and crossbench Lords demanded two further changes, prolonging Parliamentary ping-pong between the two houses, with the Government refusing to concede any ground on its plans.

It means the legislation, designed to save the Rwanda plan and deter asylum seekers from crossing the Channel, will not be passed until Monday at the earliest.

Home Secretary James Cleverly MP said “Terrified that the Rwanda scheme will work, and desperate to delay or disrupt over a hundred votes about stopping the boats, Labour have acted again to block the passage of the Rwanda Bill.

“It’s been another politically cynical effort by them, who have no alternative deterrent and no plan to tackle illegal migration, to frustrate the only solution on offer.

“We want to break the criminal people smuggling gangs and stop the boats. Labour, uncomfortable with tackling immigration, will clearly stop at nothing to stop the planes”

Asked whether he was cross with the House of Lords, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker MP said: “Well, of course we are. They’re just delaying this policy. They seem to be terrified that it will work and they’re doing everything to delay. So of course I’m extremely disappointed.

“We need to stop the boats and that means have a deterrent which will break this pattern of people smuggling which puts so many lives at risk.

“Of course I’m cross. I’m very disappointed that they’ve chosen to do this.

He added: “Labour have brought forward nothing to deter people smuggling illegally. That’s what we’re doing.”

Ministers have insisted they still believe the first migrant deportation flights can take off this Spring despite the protracted battle.

Illegal Migration Minister Michael Tomlinson said: “We have made it abundantly clear that our priority is to stop the boats, we simply cannot stand by and allow people smugglers to control who enters our country and to see more lives being lost at sea.

“We have an obligation to the public and to those who are being exploited by criminal gangs to stop this vile trade and to protect our borders.

“Letting this Bill pass now will send a clear signal that if you come to the United Kingdom illegally you will not be able to stay.”

Mr Tomlinson told MPs changes demanded by the Lords fell into two categories: “those that are unnecessary” and “wrecking amendments”.

He added of the demand to give courts powers to block flights: “It would simply encourage illegal migrants to continue to frustrate the system through lengthy legal challenges in order to prevent their removal and it runs contrary to the core purpose of this Bill.

“This Bill strikes the appropriate balance of limiting unnecessary challenges that frustrate removal whilst maintaining the principle of access to the courts.”

Conservative former minister Rachel Maclean claimed Labour had no plan to deal with small boats crossings and had only suggested “having more grown ups in the room and talking more nicely”, adding: “Perhaps the people smugglers will listen to that and stop putting people in small boats. Somehow I doubt it.

“We are sent here to make hard choices, not emote and do things that make us feel good in the moment. We have to stand on one side, that is the sovereignty of this Parliament and the people of Redditch, and this is the way, this Bill.

“Let’s get Rwanda done, we will stop these boats and we will make our country safer.”

Among the changes being demanded by Lords were plans to allow courts to ground flights to Rwanda and an exemption for anyone who worked for the British military abroad from being deported to Rwanda.

Peers said this was introduced to protect Afghans who worked alongside British troops during the war.

Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer added: “Controlling our borders and stopping illegal immigration is not morally wrong. It is morally wrong to block every attempt to end this trade in human misery. I’ve worked more for Afghan refugees than most in Westminster. Trust me; Labour’s concern is fake.”

No 10 signalled it would not be willing to make changes to the Bill to ensure its speedy passage through Parliament.

“We are not considering concessions,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters.

“We believe the Bill as it stands is the right Bill and the quickest way to get flights off the ground.”

Prime Minister Mr Sunak was forced to draw up emergency legislation after the Supreme Court in November ruled the Rwanda scheme was illegal.

It declares that Rwanda is a safe country and was introduced alongside a treaty declaring that migrants will not be sent from Kigali back to their home countries.

Ministers also believe the Rwanda Bill will prevent “systemic” legal challenges against the proposals and end the “endless” cycle of appeals by migrants and their lawyers.

Mr Sunak faced renewed calls – from his former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick – to pledge to quit the European Court of Human Rights.

Mr Jenrick said: “It was born of noble intentions after the defeat of fascism by people like Winston Churchill.

“But Winston Churchill would be aghast with what has happened to it today where it has been contorted by activist judges.

“I don’t think it’s possible to reform the ECHR. I think that would be doomed to fail.

“Like David Cameron’s attempt to renegotiate our relationship with the EU. The question we’ve got to ask ourselves is does staying in ECHR make us safer?

“Does it make the country more prosperous? Does it increase our influence in the World?

“And I think the answer to all those questions is no.

“This is a treaty, a convention, that has been bent out of shape, out of all recognition to the original proponents. It is viewed by its activist judges as a living instrument. And you see, on issues whether it’s security, borders, or now net zero, judges acting as politicians.

“This is bad for democracy.”

Around 6,265 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year.

Over the same period in 2023 there were 4,936 arrivals.

But shocking analysis has revealed more than 120,000 people have been intercepted since the crisis began in 2018.

And Mr Jenrick accused the French of not doing enough to prevent crossings.

He said: “The French could do a lot more. They could intercept boats in shallow waters and turn them back and take those people back to France.

“The Belgians are doing that. That means almost no boats leave from Belgium.

“On beaches where half is in Belgium and half is in France, the boats deliberately leave from the French side.”