The vote of judgment has arrived. Tonight there House of Commons (the House of Commons) will vote on the controversial bill on third reading relocations of the illegal immigrants in Rwanda: the central brick of the government of Rishi Sunak, which is therefore creaking in these hours. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Billreturns to Westminster replenished with new ones legal guarantees for the British Supreme Court, which had already rejected it on appeal, judging it illegal because the African country would not be safe for asylum seekers.
To give an idea of the atmosphere, shouts of derision and laughter reverberated among the green seats of the House of Commons in the weekly session of question time with the prime minister, transformed into a gathering of undisciplined parliamentarians who did not miss the opportunity to warm up before the six hours of debate preceding the vote. Starting with the Labor leader Keir Starmerexcited by the wonderful opportunity that can make it slide smoothly towards Downing Street: “The government was forced to admit that it had lost contact with 85% of the immigrants who should have been sent to Rwanda, have they been found?”, asks slyly the one who is tipped as the next prime minister. The question weighs on a desperate Sunak who in response sticks to the mantra: “We have reduced the number of immigrants by a third, we have rejected them in their countries of origin 20 thousand people“.
“Yes, but how can you lose 4,250 people?”, urges Starmer amidst the chorus of his party “Where are they? Where am I?”. Without giving Sunak any discount: “This plan has already cost taxpayers £400 million and has not yet been able to send anyone to Rwanda. It’s a farce.” Sunak defends himself by also sending a veiled message to his rebels: “The Rwanda plan is important to have a deterrent effective solution to the problem of illegal dinghies on the Sleeveis undoubtedly the most robust anti-illegal immigration legislation we have seen in Westminster“.
With tense nerves and a crooked smile, with a cleaver ready to fall on his neck, Prime Minister Sunak (who in the first reading vote on the bill had prevented the collapse of his government by the skin of his teeth, with 313 votes in favor and 279 against) is using the abacus: the possible votes against this evening and the political mines that the rebels of the conservative ultra-right could continue to throw on his authority, causing the definitive implosion of a gangrenous party longer internein addition to the potential explosion of his own seat, would trigger elections that would take place even earlier than the date scheduled for this autumn.
The bomb, exquisitely political, already exploded last night, with the resignation of three other key names in the party, including the Conservative vice-presidents Lee Anderson e Brendan Clarke-Smithleading the revolt of 60 conservatives, of the mold brexiteer, who voted against their leader’s current bill, calling for a more intransigent law towards international regulations and which effectively raises the middle finger to the courts which could continue to block flights for Kigali.
What will they do tonight? will they join ranks by voting in favor of Sunak’s law to break the grueling Rwanda impasse? Or will they remain firm in their positions and checkmate their prime minister? As if that wasn’t enough, in addition to the rebels and the opposition, Sunak is now also surrounded by a frustrated Rwandan president, Paul Kagamewho recently announced that “we cannot continue to drag out the implementation of the plan”, saying he is ready to abandon the agreement with the United Kingdom returning to the government what it received. The prime minister’s authority is leaking from all sides, in a legislative and political tug-of-war over a seat whose days are now numbered.