{"id":122484,"date":"2023-12-06T22:19:04","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T22:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gendermyn.com\/?p=122484"},"modified":"2023-12-06T22:19:04","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T22:19:04","slug":"robert-jenrick-quits-as-immigration-minister-in-revolt-over-pms-rwanda-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gendermyn.com\/politics\/robert-jenrick-quits-as-immigration-minister-in-revolt-over-pms-rwanda-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Jenrick quits as Immigration Minister in revolt over PM’s Rwanda deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rishi Sunak was rocked by a Cabinet resignation last night after urging his party to \u201cunite or die\u201d over his plan to send Channel boat migrants to Rwanda.<\/p>\n

Robert Jenrick dramatically stood down as Immigration Minister hours after the Prime Minister had unveiled emergency legislation to get \u00addeportation flights to Africa in the air by the spring.<\/p>\n

Mr Sunak described the draft Bill, which gives him the power to overrule meddling European judges, as the \u201ctoughest immigration \u00adlegislation ever\u201d.<\/p>\n

He insisted the radical package, combined with a new beefed-up treaty with Rwanda, was necessary to crack the migrant crisis.<\/p>\n

But Mr Jenrick argued the proposal does not provide \u201cthe best possible chance of success\u201d and insisted he could not support it.<\/p>\n

Don’t miss… <\/strong> Robert Jenrick’s full resignation letter as immigration minister quits<\/strong><\/p>\n

In his resignation letter to the PM, Mr Jenrick said: \u201cI cannot continue in my position when I have such strong disagreements with the direction of the Government\u2019s policy on immigration.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the small boats crisis was doing \u201cuntold damage\u201d to the country.<\/p>\n

Mr Jenrick added: \u201cI am unable to take the currently proposed legislation through the Commons as I do not believe it provides us with the best possible chance of success.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Bill of the kind you are proposing is a triumph of hope over experience. The stakes for the country are too high for us not to pursue the stronger protections required to end the merry-go-round of legal challenges which risk paralysing the scheme and negating its intended deterrent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The proposal does not go as far as providing powers to dismiss the European Convention on Human Rights, as hardliners including sacked home secretary Suella Braverman have demanded.<\/p>\n

Mrs Braverman\u2019s allies made clear that the Bill is \u201cfatally flawed\u201d.<\/p>\n

But the PM seemed to have appeased Tory moderates yesterday, with the One Nation group of MPs welcoming his decision.<\/p>\n

Mr Sunak also had a meeting with the influential 1922 Tory Committee. According to one attendee, Mr Sunak repeatedly used the phrase \u201cunite or die\u201d \u2013 a line he used when he first became PM.<\/p>\n

Attempting to head off a Tory row over the new legislation, Mr Sunak last night told his MPs: \u201cIt is this Bill or it is nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n