As a result of Sir Bill Cash's amendment that was set to disapply international law in the case of Rwanda deportions, deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Brendan Clarke-Smith and Lee Anderson have resigned.
The government whips had informed all MPs on the payroll if they voted for Sir Bill's amendment, they would lose their jobs.
I was the teller for the ayes in support of Bill's amendment this evening.
The emphasis will now turn to the vote tomorrow on the bill itself, its third reading vote.
Jacob Rees-Mogg discusses the Rwanda Bill
GB News
The government's current working majority is 54, but we saw 68 votes in favour of Sir Bill's amendment this evening against the government.
So there is a risk that the whole bill, the whole Rwanda bill, could lose tomorrow.
The Prime Minister, I think, would be wise to listen to the advice of his backbenchers and make the bill watertight.
They're approaching the two year mark since Boris Johnson announced the Rwanda plan, and we've seen countless obstacles thrown in its way, including the European Court of Human Rights and our own Supreme Court, which eccentrically based its judgment at least in part on evidence from the United Nations, which uses Rwanda as a place to send refugees.
Anyway, the government itself ought not to become an obstacle to its own planned success because the British public's patience is wearing thin.
We cannot have another bill that doesn't actually work this time. It must succeed. So the Safety of Rwanda Bill needs to be the final piece of legislation that means the planes take off.
Now, as we discussed yesterday, 9 out of 10, 90 per cent of constituencies want to see immigration reduced. In fact, they think that immigration is 1/10 of what it actually is, and they still think that's too high.
They specifically back a tougher Rwanda plan. The most popular of three answers provided regarding illegal migration was immediate removal from the UK. But regrettably, tonight's vote shows how out of touch Parliament is. 529 against stronger border controls, the Labour Party unanimously against stronger border controls.
Only the Tory rebels and the DUP want proper controls immune from foreign courts. If the Tory Party followed the rebels, it will begin to restore its popularity by being Conservative.
If the Prime Minister gets this bill right, when we see flights taking off before the next election, we could just possibly see a revival of Tory support that could prevent the predicted election wipeout we discussed last night.
It would show a government that listens to and shares the concerns of the British people, particularly on this issue.
Because I do feel that the politicians are so out of touch with the British electorate.
