Rishi Sunak is facing fresh pressure from Conservative MPs close to Suella Braverman, who are writing to him to demand “radical” new polices before Christmas on limiting immigration.
MPs from the right-wing Common Sense Group are writing to the prime minister to press for “urgent” action on legal migration numbers, and seek assurances that a promised bill to overcome the supreme court’s rejection of the Rwanda plan is a “belt and braces affair” that can resist future legal challenges.
“If they want to get it on the statute books it has to be very soon. It has to be before Christmas, before the house [of Commons] rises,” said one.
The intervention comes as the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, was forced to defend the home secretary, James Cleverly, from criticism by Conservative backbenchers angered by Cleverly’s confession that he was frustrated by a “fixation” on the Rwanda policy.
Jenrick – who was taunted by the opposition over reports he is on “resignation watch” over his own push for a firmer migration line – told Tory MPs the Rwanda scheme remained “an important part” of the government’s plans after Cleverly said at the weekend that it was “not the be-all and end-all” of policy.
However, there were doubts about the timing of a new treaty with Rwanda and legislation promised within days of the supreme court’s ruling that the deportation plan was unlawful, as No 10 declined to commit to having such pact in place before Christmas.
“It’s due to be published in the coming weeks,” said the prime minister’s spokesperson, although sources also suggested details of the treaty and emergency legislation intended to set aside the supreme court’s ruling the policy was unlawful could emerge this week.
During awkward exchanges in parliament, the Conservative MP James Morris brought up comments Cleverly made in a Times interview about being frustrated with the fixation on the Rwanda policy.
Morris asked Jenrick, who was sitting beside Cleverly: “Would the minister agree with the home secretary? And if he does agree with the home secretary, what is the government’s policy in relation to combatting of boats and resisting illegal migration and what is our policy?”
Jenrick replied that the Rwanda deportation plan remained an “extremely important” part of the government’s strategy.
Cleverly said he would not “prejudge” the content of the government’s emergency legislation on its Rwanda scheme as several other Tory MPs sought assurances the bill would allow for international treaties to be disapplied.
They included MPs from the increasingly vocal New Conservatives grouping including its co-chair, Miriam Cates, who asked for assurances that yet-to-be published legislation would take “precedence” over “the interpretation” of international treaties and from Jack Brereton, who asked whether “legal exemptions” would be in place.
A new treaty with Rwanda on the asylum plan and emergency legislation – intended to set aside the supreme court’s ruling that the policy was unlawful – had been expected immediately after the verdict. But with the Commons recess due to begin on 19 December, there are not enough sitting days to ratify the treaty before the new year under the current schedule. No 10 has said that at least 21 are required.
As for the introduction of emergency legislation allowing parliament to deem the Rwanda scheme safe, Conservative MPs are anxious that it is brought forward swiftly before a window is missed this year.
Sunak insisted at an event on Monday that he was determined to bring net migration down amid reports he reneged on a leadership contest deal with Braverman to raise the salary threshold for migrant workers to £40,000.
He said “we need to do more” and indicated he would look at the number of dependants students can bring when they come to study in the UK. While No 10 has denied any formal plan, Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, hinted in interviews that the salary threshold could be increased anyway as part of “much, much tougher measures” being drawn up.
