Lee Anderson is preparing to back the Tory rebel amendments to the Rwanda Bill as the number of backbench MPs urging Rishi Sunak to toughen the legislation approaches 60.
The deputy chairman is understood to be ready to support the amendments, which would further limit individual migrants from making legal challenges against their deportation and block injunctions against flights to Rwanda by Strasbourg judges.
Mr Anderson refused to comment when contacted by The Telegraph. But this publication understands from other Tory sources that he is supportive of the rebels’ attempts to harden up the legislation and has told fellow MPs he intends to vote for them this week.
The MP for Ashfield, a Red Wall constituency, has been aligned with the New Conservatives group of 2019 Tory MPs, which is one of the five “families” of Right-wing MPs backing the amendments.
His backing would be a significant boost for the rebels given his role as the standard bearer for former Labour voters who switched to the Tories post-Brexit to give Boris Johnson his landslide victory.
Although Mr Anderson is not a member of the Government bound by collective ministerial responsiblity, voting against it would raise questions over whether he would have to step down from his party post.
Damian Green, the chairman of the One Nation caucus of 106 Tory MPs, accused rebels of “authoritarian” amendments that betrayed traditional Conservative values, would not work and could lead to resurgence of small boat crossings.
In an article for The Telegraph he said disapplying virtually all protections for migrants would “create a class of people with fewer rights than the most vicious criminal”.
“This would be a betrayal”of the Conservative tradition of trying to unite our society,” he said.
He criticised as “unnecessary” and “authoritarian” rebel amendments which would automatically block rule 39 injunctions. One was issued by Strasbourg judges to ground the first Rwanda flight after a migrant appealed. “To go further and take away any right of such an appeal is both unnecessary and a touch authoritarian,” said Mr Green, de facto deputy prime minister under Theresa May.
He warned the practical effect of the amendments could be to ensure no flights ever took off to Rwanda, wrecking efforts to create a deterrent and risking “resurgence” in small boat crossings.
The amendments have been backed by 56 MPs so far, including nine former Cabinet ministers – Suella Braverman, Robert Jenrick, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Liz Truss, Sir John Redwood, Sir Jake Berry, David Jones, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Sir Simon Clarke.
Third reading on Wednesday
It is enough to overturn Rishi Sunak’s 29-seat majority in the Commons, although it is not clear how many of the rebels will vote to block the entire Bill if the proposed legislation remains unchanged when it gets to its third reading, due on Wednesday.
Only a handful of senior MPs, including Mrs Braverman, have so far indicated that they are prepared to vote down the Bill if it remains unamended.
The splits within the party over the Rwanda Bill are so deep that one senior moderate MP, Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, indicated on Sunday that he would vote against the Bill if any of the Right-wing rebels’ amendments were passed.
The amendments have been tabled by Mr Jenrick, the former immigration minister who quit over the Bill, and Sir Bill Cash, the veteran Brexiteer.
Among those who have added their names to support the amendments in the past two days are Ms Truss, the former prime minister, and Bob Blackman, secretary of the 1922 backbench committee.
Mr Anderson is a member of the Commons home affairs committee and his blunt speaking approach has sometimes unsettled the leadership.
When asked in August 2023 if the Government had failed to tackle illegal immigration effectively, he said: “We have failed on this, there’s no doubt about it.
“We said we’re going to fix it, it is a failure. But we have got policies in place. I know it’s a bit hard for the British public at the moment to understand what we’re trying to do with the Rwanda flights, and the change in legislation, the Illegal Migration Bill.
“It seems very slow and cumbersome, we’re up against it. We’ve got the lefty lawyers, the human rights campaigners, we’ve got the charities, everything’s against us.
“I’m not making excuses but it’s slowing us down. If we had the whole of Parliament behind us I’m sure this would have got through by now.”
Sir Robert, asked on Times Radio if he would still vote for the Bill if some of the amendments were to pass, said: “No. I think the Bill goes as far as it can – perhaps a little bit further for my taste to work within the rule of law.
“I think the more you try and use exceptional arguments that this is an exceptional case, we start to erode the mutual respect that needs to exist between Parliament and our court system and undermine the fabric of our constitution.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
