Douglas Ross backs Rwanda bill amid Conservative party infighting

The Moray MP told journalists he would support Rishi Sunak’s plan after the Prime Minister was forced to hold an emergency press conference to quell unrest within his party.

Speaking after First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, Ross said there were “far too many lives lost in the English Channel”.

He went on: “It’s absolutely vital that we use every policy available to prevent people from making an extremely dangerous crossing – we see far too many lives lost in the English Channel.

“That’s why the Prime Minister has looked at the ruling from the Supreme Court, he’s looked at the legislation that can be brought through the UK Parliament to deter people from making that dangerous crossing, from putting their life at risk and also to ensure the people that benefit from this currently – the people smugglers – that route is stopped from them.

“I will be supporting the bill when it comes to Parliament.”

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Asked if he backed the bill despite its aim of circumventing a Supreme Court ruling, Ross evaded the question, instead describing the process a bill has to go through before becoming law.

The Rwanda bill is due to be debated by MPs on Tuesday November 12.

Sunak is under fire over the legislation from both the right-wing and the centre of his party. The right, represented by the likes of former home secretary Suella Braverman, have insisted the bill does not go far enough.

The prime minister insisted that the vote on the bill would not be a vote of confidence in his leadership.

The centrist Tories from the moderate One Nation wing are “very nervous” about the implications of the Rwanda bill, a source told PA.

The Prime Minister’s press conference on Thursday seems to have only heightened their fears.

Sunak told media that the Rwanda bill "blocks every single reason that has ever been used to prevent flights to Rwanda from taking off".

However, there are concerns that it does so by forcing judges to consider Rwanda a safe country, despite the Supreme Court ruling that to deport asylum seekers there would be unlawful.

The legislation would also give ministers the powers to disregard sections of the Human Rights Act.

But it angered figures like Braverman because it does not go as far as allowing them to dismiss the European Convention on Human Rights.

Cambridge University public law professor Mark Elliot said UK Government law officers should be considering their positions over the Rwanda bill.

He wrote: "I'm not suggesting the Lord Chancellor [Alex Chalk KC], or anyone else, is legally obliged to resign. But I am arguing that the rule of law, as a constitutional principle, is engaged here, and that Ministers like the [Lord Chancellor] with special responsibility for it ought to reflect on their positions.

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"The bill seeks to effect a radical realignment of constitutional responsibilities in this sphere by removing matters from the jurisdiction of the courts and explicitly contemplates placing the UK in breach of its international obligations."

Speaking in Holyrood before Ross declared his support for the Rwanda bill, First Minister Humza Yousaf said the UK's immigration policies were "morally repugnant" and "economically illiterate".

Yousaf was asked by SNP MSP Clare Haughey whether he condemns further immigration plans which will see care workers prevented from bringing their families with them to the UK.

The First Minister responded: “It’s a real dark day for the UK – a country that once welcomed immigrants, including my grandfather to the country, in fact, begged him to come and others to come to work in their factories, to drive buses, due to the labour shortages that were seen at that time.”