News of One Nation decision will push Rishi Sunak Photo: Hannah Mackay/Reuters
One Nation Tory MPs said they would vote for Rishi Sunak's Rwanda bill despite “concerns”.
Damian Green, the group's chairman, said: “We have decided that the most important thing at this stage is to support the bill, despite our real concerns.
“We urge the Government to vigorously oppose any attempts to amend the Bill that would make it unacceptable to those who believe that upholding the rule of law is a core Conservative principle.”
The center group represents at least 106 Conservative MPs, whose key figures include Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The news will be a boost for Mr Sunak, who has faced pressure from right-wing members of his parties. withdraw the bill before Tuesday's vote.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the One Nation meeting, Mr Green warned the government must “stick to its guns”, saying: “We support the bill without amendments, but if anyone proposes any amendments that breach our international obligations or violate the rule of law, we will vote against these amendments at future stages.
“Tomorrow we will vote with the government, but we want the government to stick to its position and stick to the text of this bill.”
Some have suggested that factions such as the European Study Group, led by Marc Francois, the former minister of the armed forces, could support the law and then try to amend it further.
However, a group of “Star Chamber” experts Legal Affairs said the bill in its current form is “not good enough” and members of the group appear to have hardened their stance against it.
Mr Francois told broadcasters on Monday afternoon: “The feeling at the [ERG] meeting was that the government's best bet would be to withdraw the bill and propose a revised version that works better than this one, which has so many holes in it.”
He said the existing bill would be “quite difficult to amend” and it would be “much better to withdraw the bill and come up with something that is much better worded.” go.”
David Jones, deputy chairman of the ERG and a member of the star chamber, backed the call and said Number 10 should “look at a whole new bill”.
The news comes after Robert Jenrick, who resigned as immigration minister last week, said the bill was “fundamentally flawed” if people could challenge being sent to Rwanda.
p>He tweeted: “If individual suits are allowed, everyone will file one, the court backlog will increase, our detention capacity will be overwhelmed in a matter of days, people will simply be released on bail, and new arrivals will simply abscond. The proposed bill, both legally and practically, is fundamentally flawed.”
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