Sunak crushes rebels in Rwanda

Rishi Sunak leaves parliament on Tuesday night after winning the vote on the Rwanda security bill

Rishi Sunak clashed with Tory rebels who threatened his Rwanda deportation plan on Tuesday as he won his first parliamentary battle over the emergency law.

The bill passed the House of Commons by 313 votes to 269 after conservative migration hardliners abandoned their threats to vote against him. No Tory MPs voted against the bill.

But the leaders of five groups of right-wing Tories, called the Five Families, warned they would try to defeat the bill at its next reading if it is not approved. was significantly tightened in the coming weeks.

A total of 29 Tory MPs abstained from voting without the permission of party leaders, according to Telegraph analysis — potentially enough rebels to force a future defeat.

However, there was jubilation in Downing Street that after days of gloom warnings about the bill's chances of success from Tory MPs on both sides of the party, it has passed its first hurdle.

The Prime Minister was hugged by Simon Hart, the Chief Whip, on the floor of the House of Commons moments after the victory as a sign of his satisfaction with the result.

Mr Sunak said on Tuesday evening: “The British people should decide who comes to this country, not criminal gangs or foreign courts. That's what this bill proposes. Now we will work to make this law so we can send flights to Rwanda and stop ships.»

Tory rebels insist the battle for stricter legislation is not over and is expected to that amendments will be made before then. there will be more decisive votes in the new year, saying the prime minister had a “last chance” to improve the bill.

One Tory critic told The Telegraph: “This bill has been allowed to live another day. But without amendments, he will be killed next month. Now the government must decide what it wants to do.”