Rishi Sunak warns House of Lords against blocking Rwanda laws

In a clear sign of the resistance to come, members shouted “shame” as the legislation arrived in the House of Lords.

The Prime Minister does not have a majority in the upper chamber, which is packed with Labour and Liberal Democrats.

After seeing off a Tory rebellion in the Commons, Mr Sunak turned his attention to peers, telling them: “There is now only one question. Will the opposition in the appointed House of Lords try and frustrate the will of the people as expressed by the elected House, or will they get on board and do the right thing?”

“It’s as simple as that.”

After weeks of threats from the Tory right just 11 MPs rebelled, including former home secretary Suella Braverman and ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick, in the final stages of the Safety of Rwanda Bill in the Commons.

Mr Sunak dismissed claims his own MPs are submitting letters of no confidence in an attempt to oust him.

The insisted the Tories are “completely united” in wanting to deliver for the country.

He said: “I’m interested in sticking with the plan I set out for the British people because that plan is working.”

“It is delivering real change, and if we stick with that plan, we’ll be able to build a brighter future for everyone’s families in this country and a renewed sense of pride in our nation.”

He added: “The Conservative Party is completely united in wanting to deliver for the country, cut their taxes and, crucially, to stop the boats.”

Border Force picked up 358 migrants aboard eight dinghies on Wednesday, according to official government figures.

The figure is the largest number of arrivals on a single day since December.

It takes the total to arrive in the UK so far in 2024 to 621 migrants and 15 small boats.

Migrants seen arriving at Dover were brought into the immigration centre based in a former Jetfoil terminal in the port – with blankets wrapped around their heads and shoulders, after braving near-freezing temperatures to make the crossing from France.

Under the Government’s plan, migrants who cross the English Channel on small boats could be sent on a one-way trip to Rwanda rather than being allowed to try to seek asylum in the UK.

The legislation along with a treaty signed with Kigali are intended to make the measures legally watertight following a court ruling blocking deporations.

Tory Lord Marland warned the bill faces a tricky passage through the Lords.

“The Conservatives do not have a majority in the Lords,” he said.

“This is obviously fundamental to Conservative policy. I suspect most conservatives will vote with it, but we do not have a majority.”

“There are a lot of lawyers, lawyers love to go through the detail. And in truth there is detail that is not satisfied yet, particularly the what if scenario of when a refugee or an immigrant gets to Rwanda.”

He added: “I hope my colleagues in the House on all sides of the chamber will look at it thoroughly, make the necessary adjustments, which I’m sure the Prime Minister will acquiesce to, if they’re fair and reasonable, and then pass it through.”

The Rwanda Bill represents “a step towards totalitarianism”, a former Lib Dem Welsh leader said.

Lord Carlile, ex-independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, warned many peers fear the integrity of the British legal system is “under attack” from Tory infighting.

He said: “We’ve seen in various countries the damage that is done when governments use perceived and often ill-judged political imperatives to place themselves above the courts – this is a step towards totalitarianism and an attitude that the United Kingdom usually deprecates.”

“I think you’ll find that many of the lawyers in the House of Lords will say this is a step too far, this is illegitimate interference by politics with the law, on an issue that can be solved in other ways.”

The crossbench peer said it is the House of Lords’ role to revise legislation and protect the public from abuses of legal correctness and principle by the Government.

“I think many of us in the House of Lords believe that is exactly what has happened, that good policymaking and the integrity of our legal system are under attack because of internal political quarrelling in the Conservative Party.”

“If you want to blame someone, you can blame the lawyers, but the lawyers on the whole do not accept that. What we are doing is trying to countermand meddling by politicians in the law.”

“It’s been Government elevating itself to an unacceptable level above the law, above our much-admired Supreme Court.”