Tory Therese Coffey’s assault on Labour backfires in excruciating Commons second
Ex-Deputy PM Therese Coffey’s assault on Labour over the Rwanda deportation scheme appeared to backfire in an excruciating Commons second.
The Tory MP tried to scold Yvette Cooper, saying she was “astonished” the Shadow Home Secretary could not even “get the name of the country right” after making reference to the “Kigali government”.
Kigali is the capital of Rwanda and many of the nation’s authorities places of work are positioned within the metropolis. Multiple Tory Home Secretaries have additionally visited Kigali to boast concerning the deportation plan.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Ms Coffey mentioned: “I have to say I was somewhat astonished at the speech of the Shadow Home Secretary who can’t even get the name of the country right, talking about the Kigali government. We’re talking about Rwanda – a respected country that has recently been President of the Commonwealth”.
The remark provoked a smirk from a bemused Ms Cooper and the Shadow Home Office Minister Stephen Kinnock, who have been each sitting on Labour’s frontbench within the chamber.
The unlucky blunder additionally got here simply minutes earlier than Rishi Sunak survived one other day as a rebel over his Rwanda Bill fizzled away. After days of threats by factions on the Tory proper, simply 11 Tory MPs, together with ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman and former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick voted towards.
An additional 18, together with former deputy occasion chairman Lee Anderson – who dramatically give up in protest on Tuesday – right-winger Jonathan Gullis and ex-PM Theresa May didn’t solid a vote.
The PM has beforehand mentioned it’s his ambition to have removing flights leaving by the spring. But Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the previous Business Secretary, mentioned he thought it “unlikely” deportations would happen earlier than the following basic election, anticipated within the second half of 2024, after amendments to the Bill failed.
“I think it will be very difficult to stop the boats without the strengthening that I was supporting,” he instructed BBC Newsnight.
Sir Jacob was certainly one of dozens of rebels who supported Mr Jenrick’s modification on Wednesday, which was designed to permit UK ministers to disregard flight-grounding emergency injunctions by European judges, however then backed the laws at third studying.
Despite the Bill anticipated to face severe challenges within the higher chamber, the Home Office minister Chris Philp insisted the Bill ought to cross by way of the Lords “fairly fast” as a result of it’s comparatively quick. Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Philp added: “It’s a pretty short Bill, which means it should be able to get through the House of Lords fairly fast.”
