Conservative Party Faces Biggest Rebellion as Two Deputy Chairs Resign Over Rwanda Bill

Rishi Sunak, the UK Prime Minister, has faced his most significant rebellion since taking office, as two deputy chairs of the Conservative Party, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, resigned in protest against his flagship Rwanda bill.

The rebellion involved around 60 Tory MPs who supported an amendment that aimed to toughen the immigration legislation, causing a major blow to Sunak’s authority.

No 10 remains confident that the wider bill will pass in a vote anticipated on Wednesday. However, if approximately 30 Tories vote against the bill, it could potentially fail.

Several Conservative MPs, including Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman, have already expressed their intention to vote against the bill unless it is improved. It is rumored that more MPs might join them, indicating the deep divisions within the Conservative Party in the context of this legislation.

The legislation seeks to revive the government’s plan of sending certain asylum seekers to Rwanda as a deterrent against crossing the English Channel in small boats.

One of the affected rebel MPs, Lee Anderson, explained that while most of the bill was sound, it needed strengthening. He clarified that he couldn’t vote for something he didn’t believe in and stated that discussions were underway to determine his vote on Wednesday.

In addition to the deputy chairs, Jane Stevenson, parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Business and Trade, also submitted her resignation after voting for the rebel amendments.

Labour Party criticized Sunak, describing him as too weak to lead his party and the country. They argued that the Tory chaos surrounding the Rwanda bill demonstrated a failure for which taxpayers would pay the price.

A Downing Street source emphasized that the bill aimed to tackle illegal migration effectively, stating that it would make it clear that those coming to the UK illegally would not be allowed to stay.

The votes on the amendments put forward by Robert Jenrick and veteran Conservative Bill Cash were defeated in the Parliament, with significant support from senior Tories, such as former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

However, the resignations of Anderson, Clarke-Smith, and Stevenson highlight the challenges facing Sunak in maintaining party unity. The rebellion in his own ranks exposes the extent of divisions within the Conservative Party.