Mark Francois and the ERG’s star chamber aren’t happy with the Rwanda Bill – 14 votes of no confidence
We regret to inform you that Mark Francois is back in the news. The ERG Chairman announced the findings of the group’s ‘star chamber’ of lawyers, who had been scrutinising the Rwanda Bill.
Live Footage of the Tory MP ERG ‘Star Chamber’ convening to adjudicate on the shameful Rwanda deal of Rishi Sunak pic.twitter.com/2UlGkSWC4I
— Rob Bonser-Wilton (@westcountryjury) December 11, 2023
Mark Francois and the ERG’s Star Chamber may sound like a runner-up in Eurovision, but they’re actually just people with an inexplicable amount of power in the Tory Party.
They have concluded that the bill, which the PM hopes will solve the problem of the Rwanda Scheme being judged to be unlawful, would only be partially effective and needs reworking before any vote on it by MPs.
"The government will be best advised to pull the bill"
The ERG's Mark Francois says PM Rishi Sunak's Rwanda bill should be revised, as the current one "has so many holes in it"
Follow live coverage https://t.co/MQLDF00E4X pic.twitter.com/eFwPpNCuQM
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) December 11, 2023
Just to seal the bill’s fate, the ERG discussed it with the Common Sense Group. Here’s leaked footage of that happening.
The return of Francois was as popular as you’d expect.
1.
Ah. Mark François is back on the telly. It’s like finding shit on your shoe.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) December 11, 2023
2.
Mark Francois of the self styled “Star Chamber” says they’ll be meeting the self styled “Common Sense” group later.
Very soon they’ll form the Star Sense group and try to win The X Factor https://t.co/Sa29Pqo9Hh
— Sangita Myska (@SangitaMyska) December 11, 2023
3.
Mark Francois today deemed the Rwanda bill unfit for purpose. It’s a busy time of year for Mark – he’s chair of the ERG, member of the Star Chamber and head Elf at Basildon Arcade’s Christmas Grotto pic.twitter.com/Ius33wgh60
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) December 11, 2023
4.
Puffed-up Mark Francois back swaggering around Parliament full of his own self-importance tells us everything we need to know about the dire state of a disintegrating UK Conservative Government.
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) December 11, 2023
5.
The Star Chamber, the Common Sense Group, Mark 'I wasn't trained to lose' Francois. What's totally ridiculous about any of that?
— nick abbot (@NIAbbot) December 11, 2023
6.
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) December 11, 2023
7.
Describing a group of right wing Tory MPs as a ‘Star Chamber’ isn’t self-aggrandising, it’s wholly accurate. Given it’s a roomful of people with a dense core.
— Keith Burge (@carryonkeith) December 11, 2023
8.
Mark Francois looks like he should be driving a coachload of pensioners to Marbella. pic.twitter.com/T2ArFsZDtE
— Moog (@a_toots) December 11, 2023
9.
“…proud man,
Drest in a little brief authority,
Most ignorant of what he's most assured,
His glassy essence, like an angry ape,
Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven
As make the angels weep; who, with our spleens,
Would all themselves laugh mortal.”
Measure For Measure https://t.co/HwXA51AU0v— Nick Pettigrew (@Nick_Pettigrew) December 11, 2023
10.
Grown adults calling themselves the ‘Star Chamber’ is silly.
Having a Minister for Common Sense is Monty Python esque
Rwanda policy is unworkable, pointless and grotesquely expensive.
The Mail blaming Gary Lineker for their woes is pitiful.
Bunch of toddlers in power.
— Jemma Forte (@jemmaforte) December 11, 2023
11.
Francois has all the pomp and gravitas of a carpark deputy supervisor telling you that you can’t chain your bike to the carpark railings https://t.co/7ZG7ohJMx4
— Sean Griffin ️ what fresh hell is this? (@seaniegriff) December 11, 2023
12.
Comforting to know that the hardcore Brexit wingnuts have revived their ‘Star Chamber’ to check the new Rwanda Treaty. Because their command of law, facts, and how anything works is second to none. As we see every day with the steaming shitshow that is their precious Brexit.
— sarah murphy (@13sarahmurphy) December 5, 2023
13.
"ERG? Fuck Off, we're the Common Sense Group of New Conservatives." https://t.co/3DslKVfjYx pic.twitter.com/dlco7X5mGZ
— Colin the Dachshund (@DachshundColin) December 10, 2023
14.
Welcome to Rwanda Vote Day!
Where – make no mistake – your Prime Minister is already up & flailing around, trying to think of weird constituency bribes to give Mark Francois to get him onside.
"Well how about townhall refurb? Or £4m for a Rayleigh Park spitfire statue, Mark?"
— aidThompsin (@aidThompsin) December 12, 2023
We suspect Chris Bryant is far from alone in this.
Incidentally am I the only person who thinks of the Star Chamber Court as a tool of tyranny?
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) December 11, 2023
READ MORE
Mark Francois threatened the Army with Dominic Cummings – 9 fully-loaded takedowns
Source BBC Image Screengrab