Rishi Sunak was facing a revolt from senior moderate Conservatives over his hardline immigration policy ahead of a key Commons vote tonight.
Former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne and former Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes criticized the move to tackle Canal migrants and the rhetoric around the Illegal Migration Law.
Ms Nokes said she would defy the party’s whip and refuse to back the bill tonight, warning that it ‘criminalises’ pregnant women and children, and does not act as a deterrent.
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel is also reported to be concerned that the bill will result in the detention and subsequent deportation of unaccompanied children and families.
Meanwhile, Osborne lashed out at the government’s rhetoric on immigration and expressed his support for BBC presenter Gary Lineker.
“I personally think that some of the language used by some conservatives on immigration, not all of it, is not acceptable,” he told Channel 4’s The Andrew Neil Show.
Former Tory immigration minister Caroline Nokes said she would defy the party’s whip and refuse to back the Illegal Immigration Bill, warning it ‘criminalises’ pregnant women and children.
Meanwhile, former Foreign Secretary George Osborne lashed out at government rhetoric on immigration by coming out in support of Gary Lineker
The government’s plans, announced last week, would call for the deportation of migrants arriving by unauthorized means and a lifetime ban on their return.
Gary Lineker, pictured outside his South West London home, will return to television this weekend.
Mr Osborne added: “I have a lot of sympathy for Tim Davie, the director general, who is trying to keep the BBC impartial in a partisan age.” But it all ended in a little mess.
The government’s plans, announced last week, would call for the deportation of migrants arriving by unauthorized means and a lifetime ban on their return.
Anyone crossing the English Channel in a small boat could only claim asylum in a ‘safe’ third country, such as Rwanda.
Powers would be granted to detain immigrants for 28 days without recourse to bail or judicial review, and then indefinitely while there is a “reasonable prospect” of removal.
It also places a duty on Home Secretary Suella Braverman to expel illegal entrants and “will radically reduce the number of challenges and appeals that can suspend removal.”
Ms Nokes, now chair of the women and equality committee, has vowed to stand up against the measure when it has its second reading tonight.
He also voted against last year’s Nationality and Borders Law.
His dramatic intervention came just hours after a Tory council leader said the government’s migrant plan puts the safety of children at risk as a dispute threatens to break out within the Conservative Party.
Ms Nokes told Times Radio: ‘I can’t vote for this. I didn’t vote for the last one, I won’t vote for this one.
‘It may be an outlier in my party, but I believe we have an absolute duty to treat people humanely to keep them safe. I have absolute horror at the prospect.
‘My first concern about this bill is that it’s taking away protections for pregnant women, for families.
‘I am deeply concerned by the prospect of a policy that seeks to criminalize children, pregnant women, families and move them to Rwanda.
“I don’t see what this legislation is going to do to act as a deterrent.”
Earlier, Izzi Seccombe, Warwickshire County Council’s Tory leader, said local authorities have to “jump through hoops” to set up safe havens for children.
He criticized the Home Office for not communicating properly with the councils about the migrant plan. “We are putting people at risk,” Ms Seccombe told Times Radio.
‘That can’t be good for us as a society. I wish we had better communications with the Ministry of the Interior because it is very poor. It is us on the ground who have to deal with these problems.’
His comments came hours after the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, called the bill “immoral and inept”.
He said: “The proposals are unworkable but will restrict access to support for many legitimate refugees and victims of modern slavery, without even the dignity of having their case heard.”
The ban on holding children arriving in small boats at detention centers can be lifted. Senior Conservatives, including former Cabinet Minister Robert Buckland, have condemned the plans as “draconian”.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt did not rule out the possibility of the children being detained under the latest government asylum plans on Sunday.
He said “special accommodations” would be made for the children, but would not be based on whether the government would effectively overturn a ban, put in place by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, on the detention of minors in connection with immigration cases.
