United Kingdom Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is fighting to maintain his grip on power amid a rebellion over his Rwanda migrant bill with some Tories planning to re-install Boris Johnson.
Reports have it that an ambitious purported plan could also involve installing Nigel Farage in the House of Lords to act as Johnson’s right-hand man in a ‘dream ticket’ to attract votes.
The Prime Minister risks an embarrassing defeat in a Commons vote on laws he says will permit the UK to send illegal migrants to Rwanda.
Critics in his party revealed that the bill is just not tough enough to discourage the thousands who make the dangerous channel crossing in small boats every year.
Robert Jenrick, who resigned recently as immigration minister over the row, accused Sunak of making a political choice to devise legislation which did not do the job.
While talking on BBC, Jenrick said: “The test for this is not, “Can you get one or two symbolic flights off before the next election with a handful of illegal migrants on them?”
‘The test is can you create a strong deterrent that is sustainable and stops the boats and protects the borders of this country for years to come?”
“That’s what I want to achieve and I’m afraid this bill is not it.”
Jenrick revealed that the Conservatives would face the “red-hot fury of the public” if they did not reduce migration.
One Tory MP said: “Reform is going to kill us, so we have to buy Farage off. The plan is we get him into the Lords, give him some brief like we did with David Cameron – maybe even home secretary – then go to the country with the dream team.
“It may not be enough to win but it would definitely re-energize our base, shake up the debate and give Starmer something to think about.”
According to Sunday Times, Sunak tasked Lord Cameron with preventing defeat over the Rwanda Bill.
Only 28 Conservatives would need to vote against the bill for it to become the first piece of government legislation since 1986 to fail to clear the first hurdle of its passage through Parliament.
Britain has already paid the Rwandan government £240 million as part of the deal to send migrants there – but nobody has been because of series of legal challenges.
