Politics

The so-called Five Families abstain, but the Rwanda Bill lives to fight another day

Oonagh Keating. Updated December 13th, 2023

The Rwanda Bill, which seeks to legislate that the country is safe for asylum seekers despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that it isn’t, has passed its second reading in the House of Commons.

The wording of the bill would block certain parts of UK Human Rights law in a bid to avoid the legal challenges that have so far prevented a single asylum seeker from being flown to Rwanda.

A threat to abstain by the forty or so members of the so-called Five Families backbench factions translated to 30 rebellious abstentions (plus eight for other reasons).

The PM had seemingly bought off a few of the right-wing MPs for the price of a bacon butty.

With ERG Chairman Mark Francois as their spokesperson, the Five Families – European Research Group (ERG), Common Sense Group, Conservative Growth Group, Northern Research Group and New Conservatives – the would-be (and, it turns out wouldn’t-be) rebels haven’t exactly given off an air of competence.

It’s as though the New York mafia origins of the nickname got lost in translation and they left a horse’s ass in the PM’s bed.

These reactions have it covered.

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