British premier faces headwinds as 2 senior Tories resign over Rwanda bill

LONDON

In a significant blow to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government, two deputy chairmen of the Conservative Party, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, along with parliamentary private secretary Jane Stevenson have resigned in protest against his flagship Rwanda bill.

The move comes as part of a broader rebellion by approximately 60 Tory members of parliament (MPs) who support an amendment aiming to strengthen immigration legislation proposed by the government.

Despite the resignations and growing dissent within the party, Downing Street remains confident that the Rwanda bill will pass in a crucial vote scheduled for Wednesday. But with reports suggesting that at least 30 Tories may join the opposition in voting against the bill, there is a real possibility that it could fail.

Former ministers Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman are among the Conservative MPs publicly expressing their willingness to vote against the bill unless improvements are made.

The rebellion highlights the deep divisions within the Conservative Party, and even if the government secures a victory, it may come at a political cost.

The controversial legislation aims to revive the government's plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda as part of efforts to deter individuals from crossing the English Channel in small boats.

In their joint resignation letter, Anderson and Clarke-Smith emphasized their previous arguments for incorporating "safeguards" to ensure the legislation's effectiveness.

"We had supported rebel amendments to the Rwanda bill not because we are against the legislation, but because like everyone else, we want it to work," the letter said.

The controversial plan, which seeks to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda while their claims are being assessed, was ruled unlawful by the UK’s highest court, as they found the East African country is not a safe place for asylum seekers to be housed.

The government then changed the bill, assuring that Rwanda is safe to house asylum seekers.