Rwanda Bill gets through Parliament
“Emergency legislation to get flights off to Rwanda finally passed through Parliament – after MPs defeated Lords efforts to ground the planes. Small boat migrants destined for the Central African state under the controversial scheme could be detained as soon as this week ahead of the first flights in July. After “ping pong” between the Commons and Lords, the bill is finally on the way to the King for Royal Assent on Tuesday morning. The PM had warned the Commons would sit as long as it takes to overturn peers’ efforts to water down the bill – with planes and airfields booked for 10 to 12 weeks time. Mr Sunak earlier warned peers that the Commons would vote through the night if need be to pass his emergency Rwanda bill, insisting planes and airfields are already booked.” – The Sun
- Unelected peers bow to MPs after months of wrangling – Daily Mail
- Detention of migrants can start in days – The Times
- Sunak says flights will take off in 10 to 12 weeks – Daily Telegraph
- Prime Minister admits Rwanda deportations delayed until summer – FT
- Over 18,000 who faced Rwanda removal are now having cases dealt with in UK – The Guardian
- Migrants say threat of being flown to Rwanda won’t deter them making crossing – Daily Mail
>Today: Interview: Jenrick on immigration. “Too many of our businesses have become hooked on the drug of imported foreign labour.”
>Yesterday:
- Parliament: “No ifs, no buts. These flights are going to Rwanda.” Sunak’s speech. Full text.
- Video: ‘The first flight will leave in 10 to 12 weeks’. Sunak pledges to deliver on Rwanda.
Government is ready to take on lawyers and campaign groups over the Rwanda plan, Sunak vows
“Ministers are braced to take on lawyers and campaign groups who try to stop asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda. Rishi Sunak stressed the Home Office is ‘ready’ to carry out the ‘complex operational endeavour’, after previously being stymied in the courts and the House of Lords. He told a press conference yesterday that the Government had lined up 150 judges across 25 courtrooms to ‘deal with any legal cases quickly and decisively’. It is expected that passengers on board the first flights to take off for Kigali will be those with the weakest arguments against removal from the UK. Number 10 previously pledged to make cases ‘watertight’ against individuals it planned to send to Rwanda in an effort to blunt the efforts of human rights lawyers.” – Daily Mail
- Lawyers prepare for legal battles on behalf of individual asylum seekers – The Guardian
- Mitchell says Kigali is ‘safer than London’. Is it? – The Times
More:
- How the Government has struggled to get its ‘world-leading’ deportation scheme off the ground – Daily Mail
- The tortuous journey of the Government’s Rwanda plan – The Guardian
- How your MP voted in the final ever Rwanda vote: full list – Daily Express
- One in five small boats migrants are now from Vietnam, figures show – Daily Mail
Sketch:
- Sunak’s latest Rwanda claims fail to take off – Tom Peck, The Times
- Parliamentary ping pong is closer to game of never-ending Monopoly – Tim Stanley, Daily Telegraph
Comment:
- Labour will stop the small boats – Yvette Cooper MP, Daily Telegraph
- No matter how bad the Rwanda Bill is, a bunch of unelected peers shouldn’t decide its fate – Simon Jenkins, The Guardian
- Sadly, Truss’s world view is no laughing matter – William Hague, The Times
Editorial:
- The Rwanda policy must be put into action – Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday:
- ToryDiary: The right and wrong way for the Tories to campaign on the ECHR at the general election
- David Gauke’s column: Conservatives should have nothing to do with Truss’ goal of Americanising our judiciary
Rowley faces calls to quit ahead of showdown talks
“Sir Mark Rowley must put in work to rebuild confidence and trust from British Jews, Rishi Sunak said today. The PM stood by the embattled Met Chief as he faces calls to resign over handling of pro-Palestine protests. This month cops spark fury after they threatened to arrest antisemitism campaigner Gideon Falter for being “openly Jewish” while walking alongside a Gaza demo in London. In a video widely shared online, he was told by police he was causing a breach of the peace. An officer said: “You’re quite openly Jewish, this is a pro-Palestinian march.” The Met were forced to make two apologies after originally suggesting Mr Falter’s presence had been “provocative” as he was wearing a skullcap.” – The Sun
- Downing Street blasts ‘appalling’ arrest threat against ‘openly Jewish’ man at pro-Palestine protest – The Sun
- Ex-chief inspector defends Met Police – The Times
- Rowley under pressure over handling of protests – FT
- Campaigner threatened with arrest says he has more than 1,500 supporters to join him on Palestine march… – Daily Mail
- …and says he has still not been offered a meeting with Rowley – Daily Mail
More:
- Labour suspends candidate for anti-Israel posts days after Chief Whip campaigns for him – Daily Express
Foreign Affairs 1) Sunak to increase UK military aid to Ukraine to £3bn this year
“Rishi Sunak will unveil an extra £500mn of military funding to Ukraine on Tuesday and announce the largest supply of munitions to Kyiv as the UK prime minister travels to Poland and Germany to reinforce ties with key European allies… The prime minister’s announcement will bring the total amount of military aid Britain has pledged to Ukraine in the current financial year to £3bn as part of a push by Kyiv’s key western allies to bolster Ukrainian defences against invading Russian forces. The latest contribution means the total commitment of military assistance for 2024-25 exceeds the £2.3bn sent by the UK to Ukraine in each of the two previous years, according to Downing Street officials.” – FT
- Prime Minister to meet Polish counterpart – The Times
More:
- MoD to settle case over antimalaria drug that caused suicides – The Times
Comment:
- Did Johnson sabotage peace talks between Russia and Ukraine? The reality is more complicated – Emma Ashford, The Guardian
Editorial:
- Labour has set out disappointingly thin proposals for Britain’s future plans – The Times
>Yesterday: Joe Baron in Comment: Aid agencies are making it harder for Israel to avoid civilian deaths in its war against Hamas
Foreign Affairs 2) Parliamentary aide charged with spying for China
“The parliamentary aide accused of passing secrets to Beijing has been charged under the Official Secrets Act along with another British man who also taught in China, The Times has learnt. Chris Cash, 29, and Christopher Berry, 32, will appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on Friday to face charges of providing prejudicial information to a foreign state. Cash is the former director of an influential China policy group and previously taught English in Hangzhou, in eastern China near Shanghai… The pair are accused of collecting and passing on information that might be useful to an enemy. Cash was closely linked with Tom Tugendhat, when he was a backbencher, and was employed as a researcher by Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the Commons foreign affairs committee.” – The Times
- Foreign Office refuses to share details of Cameron’s work on China – The Times
More:
- UK expected to appoint national security adviser as ambassador to US – FT
Foreign Affairs 3) Brexit gives UK a ‘new lease of life’ thanks to £1.1 trillion trade bonanza, says McVey
“Brexit has given Britain a “new lease of life” and turned the country into a global trading powerhouse, Esther McVey has said. The Cabinet Office Minister hailed the UK as a “force to be reckoned with” following an export boom since we left the EU. She said recent data showing Britain has shot up to the fourth largest exporter in the world proves the “doomsters, gloomsters and the ever-dwindling band of Remoaners” were wrong. Her rallying cry comes as the Government honoured “exceptional exporters” with its prestigious Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards. The awards celebrate the international sales success of small-medium businesses across the UK.” – Daily Express
- Exports of services have grown nine times faster than goods since 2010 – FT
>Today: David Willetts’ column: The case for the contributory principle
Plans to overhaul sick note system could see Brits use app to get time off
“Brits may soon use an app to sign themselves off work under government plans to overhaul the sick note system. The move, part of a wider scheme to crackdown on the UK’s ‘sick note culture’, would see people with common infections such as flu automatically given time-off after declaring their own symptoms. It would also remove the need to see a doctor. Brits battling more complex or longer term illnesses would receive more intensive support, the plans mooted by ministers suggest. It comes as Rishi Sunak last week vowed to strip GPs of their power to sign Brits off work. The change would instead see the letters – known in the NHS as ‘fit notes’ – become the responsibility of teams of ‘specialist work and health professionals’, he said.” – Daily Mail
- MPs call for carer’s allowance review as numbers overpaid soars – The Guardian
>Today:
- Jennifer Powers in Comment: Restricting smartphone access for children should be a moral necessity for Conservatives
- Mike Bird in Local Government: We need to keep the local elections local
>Yesterday:
- Julian Gallie in Comment: The mass desertion of working-age voters is an existential danger for the Tories
- Hygenia Legere in Comment: The case of Zephaniah McLeod epitomises our mad approach to criminal justice and mental health
Menzies faces investigation by parliamentary watchdog
“Mark Menzies is facing a potential investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner into allegations he has broken the MPs’ code of conduct. The MP for Fylde announced on Sunday that he had resigned from the Conservative Party and would stand down at the next election after The Times revealed allegations he had misused campaign funds and asked staff for thousands of pounds to pay “bad people”. The Conservatives said this weekend that its investigation had found a “pattern of behaviour” that fell below the standards expected of MPs. Menzies has now been referred to the standards commissioner, with a complainant alleging that he may have broken at least four conduct rules…” – The Times
- Tories hit their lowest poll rating since Sunak became leader – Daily Mail
More:
- Labour did not tell police after learning of criminal allegations against ex-Chief Whip – The Sun
- Gove takes savage swipe at Angela Rayner over police probe in Commons – Daily Express
>Yesterday: Parliament: Menzies resigns from the party and will stand down at the election
Starmer asks Labour candidates to ‘fly the flag’ on St George’s Day
“Keir Starmer has written to all of Labour’s general election candidates urging them to mark St George’s Day “with enthusiasm” and to “fly the flag” across the country as he attempts to outmanoeuvre the Tories on national identity. The Labour leader is trying to reassure swing voters that the party has changed under his leadership after a perceived lack of patriotism under Jeremy Corbyn, who often appeared uncomfortable with British institutions and symbols and argued for a “progressive patriotism”. However, Starmer told the candidates that “real patriotism” was not just about respecting shared “symbols and sentiments”, but also about serving the country, whether that was through the armed forces, the NHS or as politicians.” – The Guardian
- Working for Labour is not a dig at Johnson, says Wheeler – The Times
Comment:
- Brits will not be fooled by Starmer’s new found patriotism – David Morris MP, Daily Express
- Labour’s plotting a stealth tax raid on pensions – Alex Drummer, Daily Mail
Shadow justice secretary agrees with JK Rowling over gender critical views
“The Labour shadow justice secretary has said she agrees with JK Rowling that “biological sex is real and is immutable”. Shabana Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary, expressed support for women who express gender critical views, saying that they should not be “stigmatised” for saying them. Ms Mahmood, who took up the role last September, used her first major speech to warn of the dangers of “the rule of the mob” when “the rule of law fails”. The shadow frontbencher cited the MeToo movement, saying it was “a powerful moment of liberation” but also called it a “damning indictment” of the legal system when “the only justice on offer was justice by hashtag, and not by a judge or jury”.” – Daily Telegraph
- Turn of the woke tide will leave many stranded – Kathleen Stock, The Times
Sturgeon pulls of out MP committee showdown following husband’s charge
“Nicola Sturgeon has pulled out of a forthcoming Commons committee appearance, just days after her husband was arrested and charged in connection to the embezzlement of SNP party funds. The former First Minister was set to answer questions from the Scottish Affairs Committee a week today, however today it was announced the appearance has been pulled. A statement by the MP committee said: “Nicola Sturgeon’s appearance in front of the Scottish Affairs Committee, originally planned for Monday, April 29, has been postponed due to a change in witness availability”… A spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said that she remains happy to appear before the committee in future, however they provided no reason for her inability to attend the session next Monday.” – Daily Express
- SNP meltdown gathers pace as Holyrood coalition with Greens teeters on the brink of collapse – Daily Mail
News in Brief:
- Britain was built on economic growth, not needless red tape – Kemi Badenoch MP, CapX
- The Rwanda Bill won’t save the Tories – Rachel Cunliffe, New Statesman
- Truss was right but naïve – Connor Tomlinson, The Critic
- The fatal flaw in Lammy’s progressive realism – Aris Roussinos, UnHerd
- Desperate manufacturers are struggling to shift electric cars – Ross Clark, The Spectator
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