As he faces a turbulent 48 hours trying to secure support for his deportation plans, the Prime Minister insisted he is “confident” the legislation will work.
Around 60 of his backbenchers are pushing for the proposed new laws to be toughened up before the crunch vote tomorrow (WED).
Mr Sunak said the bill he has put forward “will work” and insisted it will allow him to ignore the rule 39 “pyjama injunctions” imposed by the European Court of Human Rights to block deportations.
“I won’t let a foreign court stop us from getting flights off and this deterrent working,” he said.
“There’s a clause in the Bill that says, very specifically, that it is for ministers to decide whether to comply with Rule 39 rulings as they’re called, I would not have put that clause in the Bill if I was not prepared to use it.”
“Now look I don’t think Strasbourg will intervene because of the checks and balances in our system. And of course, there will be individual circumstances that people want us to consider on the facts.”
“But if you’re asking me you know, are there circumstances in which I’m prepared to ignore those Rule 39s? Then yes, of course there are.”
Downing Street later said the bill had been deliberately drafted to allow ministers to intervene, adding “we would not have done that if we were not willing to take that course of action”.
Mr Sunak insisted he is talking to all of his colleagues with concerns about the plans after questions over whether deputy chairman Lee Anderson is planning to quit in protest.
Former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke became the latest rebel to say he is prepared to vote down the Safety of Rwanda Bill if changes are not made to it.
Torpedoing the flagship legislation in an election year would be deeply damaging to the Prime Minister’s authority.
Sir Simon said the bill is “still riddled with holes”.
“I’ve been clear with the whips, if the bill goes forward unamended I will be unable to offer it my support,” he added.
Tory chairman Richard Holden told colleagues it is time to get the legislation “across the line”.
He said: “Our Rwanda bill will prove that Rwanda is not just a safe country, but a modern, prosperous nation. “
“It will prevent the Strasbourg Courts from interfering with our plan. “
“And it will disapply swathes of the Human Rights Act that foreign criminals, illegal immigrants and their legions of lefty lawyers use to prop up their ridiculous claims.
“This bill will put power back in the hands of Parliament, in the hands of the British people, and it will finally mean that if you come here illegally, you will be removed.
“Now let’s get it across the line.”
