Moderates from the One Nation group will back Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan, in a boost to the Prime Minister amid last-ditch efforts to win over would-be rebels.
The One Nation grouping of Tory MPs has said that it has recommended its members back the plan, but warned that it would oppose any amendments that would risk the UK breaching the rule of law and its international obligations.
Damian Green, who chairs the influential caucus of more centrist MPs, said: “We have taken the decision that the most important thing at this stage is to support the Bill despite our real concerns.
“We strongly urge the Government to stand firm against any attempt to amend the Bill in a way that would make it unacceptable to those who believe that support for the rule of law is a basic Conservative principle.”
The Prime Minister has faced calls from the Tory right to scrap the Safety of Rwanda Bill before it faces its first Commons vote on Tuesday because it is not “fit for purpose”.
But Home Secretary James Cleverly said he was determined to get the legislation through after a meeting with Tory MPs in Parliament.
A meeting convened by the New Conservatives also met on the parliamentary estate on Monday evening, with over 20 MPs in attendance at the office of backbencher Danny Kruger.
Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick and former home secretary Suella Braverman were among those attending, alongside senior MPs Sir Simon Clarke and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The same grouping, mainly drawn from MPs elected in 2019, will attend a breakfast meeting hosted by Mr Sunak at Number 10 ahead of Cabinet he seeks to tackle the competing concerns of his restive backbenchers.
Mr Sunak’s authority faces a test when the Bill has its second reading vote on Tuesday – no government has suffered a defeat at this stage of a proposed law’s progress since 1986.
The support of the One Nation grouping could prove crucial in ensuring the legislation moves onto the next parliamentary stage, but Mr Green also had a warning for Mr Sunak ahead of the vote.
“We want the Government to stick to its guns and stick to the text of this Bill,” he told reporters as he left the meeting on Monday night. This could prove a headache for the Prime Minister, if he faces pressure from right-wingers to toughen up the flagship legislation.
The gathering of centrist MPs was addressed by Attorney General Victoria Prentis, the latest Cabinet minister sent out to brief MPs on the contents of the Rwanda plan.
Mr Cleverly said he was determined to get the legislation through after a separate meeting with Tory MPs in a parliamentary committee room.
