Peers last night inflicted more damaging defeats on the Government concerning Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill – and so today Express.co.uk readers are being asked: “Is it time to scrap the House of Lords?”
Earlier this week, MPs rejected all the amendments made to the legislation by the unelected chamber, with ministers urging members to allow it to become law.
However, Lords pressed their demands for revisions to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill again yesterday, including overturning the bid to oust the courts from the process.
Lords are at loggerheads with the House of Commons over the legislation, which aims to clear the way to send asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats to the East African country.
The latest setbacks mean there is little prospect of the Bill making it through Parliament before MPs leave Westminster for the Easter break next Tuesday.
Peers are insisting on an amendment to restore the jurisdiction of domestic courts concerning the safety of Rwanda and enable them to intervene.
They also renewed their call for the Bill to have “due regard” for domestic and international law and that Rwanda can only be declared safe when the protections in the treaty are fully implemented and while they remain in place.
Other changes included moves to reduce the risk of unaccompanied children being sent to Rwanda and a block on the removal of victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, as well as those who worked with the UK military or government overseas, such as Afghan interpreters.
Speaking to the Daily Express yesterday, Tory MP Tom Hunt issued a stark warning to peers, not least Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
He said: “The House of Lords needs to respect the democratic will of the House of Commons. They’re totally out of touch on the issue of illegal immigration.
“Hardly any of them have had to live with the consequences of rampant mass migration and the small boats crossings.
“I would single out the Archbishop of Canterbury in particular who is doing great damage to the Church of England through his foolish interventions on the issue.”
Backbencher and former minister David Jones added: “The Lords need to understand that the Commons is directly answerable to the electorate.
“The Commons has spoken very clearly.
“Now that the amendments have been rejected, the Lords should accept that and allow the legislation to proceed.”
The House of Lords also came into conflict with the Commons in the aftermath of the 2016 referendum, when it was accused of thwarting the will of the people by inflicting multiple defeats on the government.
A petition on the Change.org website in 2019 calling for its abolition attracted 397,683 signatures.
