Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves Dorland House in London after giving evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry during its second investigation exploring core UK decision-making and political governance.
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LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday is seeking to shore up his weakening grip on power by pushing ahead with a vote on his controversial Rwanda immigration bill despite mounting pressure from right-wing rebels within his own party.
Sunak has positioned his flagship policy as the U.K.’s “toughest immigration law ever” in an effort to quell dissent and win the backing of hard-line Tories, but many insist that the plans are not robust enough and will face further legal blockages.
The prime minister’s original plan to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda was thrown out last month after the Supreme Court ruled that the African country was an unsafe place to send those arriving to Britain in small boats.
The revised bill, dubbed the “Safety of Rwanda Bill,” was introduced last week as emergency legislation to override domestic and international law in a signal that it has become an increasingly defining feature of his leadership.
It faces its first parliamentary test this evening, when members of Parliament (MPs) will get a chance to debate and vote on it at approximately 7 p.m. local time.
Sunak is aiming to galvanize support ahead of the vote by hosting a series of meetings with MPs, including a breakfast summit at Downing Street. But he faces an uphill battle from both sides of the party, with moderates concerned about Britain breaching its human rights obligations and those to the right arguing the plans will fail to stem illegal arrivals.
He aims to both ensure that party members vote and, crucially, that they vote in favor of the bill. The legislation will still be subject to later rounds of approval, including in the House of Lords, the unelected upper chamber.
Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, Lee Anderson (L)…
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