Closing summary
The time in Westminster is 10.35pm. Here is a round-up of the day’s news:
Labour’s amendment seeking to block the Illegal Migration Bill was defeated by 249 votes to 312, a majority of 63. It will now pass to its second reading. The vote followed a debate in the House of Commons which lasted just over four hours. Earlier in the debate, home secretary Suella Braverman said: “Despite our reasonable concerns that we have raised on several occasions, like [Tory former home secretary Priti Patel] before me, I am subject to the most grotesque slurs for saying such simple truths about the impact of unlimited and illegal migration.”
The home secretary also said the duty to remove “will not be applied to detain and remove unaccompanied asylum-seeking children”. She told MPs: “Given the mischaracterisation of the bill from members opposite, I would like to make a few things clear. The home secretary’s duty to remove will not be applied to detain and remove unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.”
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the Commons there needs to be urgent action to “stop the dangerous boat crossings that are putting lives at risk” and undermining border security. But she said: “This bill is a con that makes the chaos worse. It won’t do the things the prime minister and the home secretary have promised, it won’t stop the criminal gangs or dangerous crossings and, in fact, it makes it easier for those gangs as well.”
Suella Braverman should consider her position for putting forward “cruel and heartless” immigration policies that discriminate against war refugees of colour, a former Home Office adviser has said. Nimco Ali, a one-time Conservative campaigner who in December left her job as an adviser on violence against women, said the home secretary was “the wrong person not just for the Conservative party but for the country”. A child refugee from Somaliland, Ali said the government’s failure to widen routes open to Ukrainians to other refugees appeared to be “racist” and “painful”.
Hundreds of people have gathered in Parliament Square to protest against the government’s controversial new asylum and migration law as MPs debated the measures in the Commons. The crowd, which first congregated around the Winston Churchill statue, chanted “What do we want? Safe passage. When do we want it? Now”, and “Who built the NHS? Migrants built the NHS.” Many held placards, which read “migrants and refugees welcome here: blame austerity, not migrants”.
US president Joe Biden said it’s “my intention to go to Northern Ireland and the Republic”, after an invitation from Rishi Sunak to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next month. The move was widely expected following the deal with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol. The issue had been seen as a stumbling block to the president’s visit as the White House urged the row to be settled.
The UK’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet could double in size as plans were revealed for the new “Aukus” vessels to be based on a British design. In a bid to counter the growing threat from China, the UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, vowed alongside his US and Australian counterparts to stand “shoulder to shoulder” to protect peace in the Indo-Pacific given its implications for security across the world.
Sunak quoted former US president John F Kennedy, saying the leaders gathered in San Diego were “United by that same purpose” of freedom, peace and security. He warned China, Russia, Iran and North Korea threatened to create “a world defined by danger, disorder, and division”. Praising Biden’s leadership and Albanese’s vision, Sunak said the UK would offer “over sixty years’ experience of running our own fleet” and the “world-leading design” for the Aukus class of submarines.
Sunak also said the government will not try to influence the outcome of the privileges committee inquiry into claims Boris Johnson misled MPs about Partygate. Asked if he would try to persuade Tory members of the committee not to impose too tough a punishment on Johnson if they found him in the wrong, Sunak replied: “That wouldn’t be right. This is a matter for parliament and the house. It’s not a matter for the government.”
Sunak rejected suggestions he is detached from the everyday concerns of the public after it emerged his new heated swimming pool uses so much energy that the local electricity network had to be upgraded to meet its power demands. The Guardian revealed that, while many Britons are trying to limit their energy use in the face of increased electricity bills, extra equipment had been installed in North Yorkshire to provide more capacity from the National Grid to Sunak’s constituency home.
The BBC’s leadership was facing renewed pressure on Monday after the corporation U-turned to bring Gary Lineker back to Match of the Day, cancelling the presenter’s suspension without requiring him to make any significant concessions. Three days after Lineker was taken off air for criticising the language used by ministers when discussing the government’s asylum policy, Tim Davie, the director general of the BBC, announced an independent review of the corporation’s social media guidelines.
Humza Yousaf said he would shift the campaign for independence into “fifth gear” if he wins the SNP leadership, following a suggestion from a colleague that it should “go down a gear”, PA Media reports. Ben Macpherson, the minister for social security in the Scottish government, said it would take longer than the short or medium term for Scotland to become a successful independent country.
Hospitals have cancelled tens of thousands of outpatient appointments and operations this week as they prepare for a junior doctors’ strike that will severely disrupt NHS care. NHS trusts in England have postponed many more procedures than for any of the recent walkouts by nurses and ambulance staff.
Theresa May is to release a book about a series of political scandals, titled The Abuse of Power, which promises to reveal the way institutions close ranks in order to avoid dishonour. The former prime minister has never released a memoir but the book – due to be published in autumn 2023 – promises to reveal the story behind famous scandals including the Hillsborough and Grenfell tragedies, the Daniel Morgan police corruption case and parliamentary dramas.
That’s all from me, Tom Ambrose, and indeed the UK politics live blog this evening. Thanks for following along. Goodbye for now.
Updated
Labour attempt to block Illegal Migration Bill defeated in Commons
Labour’s amendment seeking to block the Illegal Migration Bill was defeated by 249 votes to 312, a majority of 63.
The vote followed a debate in the House of Commons which lasted just over four hours.
Earlier in the debate, home secretary Suella Braverman said:
Despite our reasonable concerns that we have raised on several occasions, like [Tory former home secretary Priti Patel] before me, I am subject to the most grotesque slurs for saying such simple truths about the impact of unlimited and illegal migration.
The worst among them, poisoned by the extreme ideology of identity politics, suggest that a person’s skin colour should dictate their political views.
I will not be hectored by out-of-touch lefties, or anyone for that matter. I won’t be patronised on what appropriate views for someone of my background can hold. I will not back down when faced with spurious accusations of bigotry.
In contrast, Labour said the Illegal Migration Bill is a “con that makes the chaos worse” and “will lock up children”.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the Commons:
We need urgent action to stop the dangerous boat crossings that are putting lives at risk and undermining our border security. But this Bill is a con that makes the chaos worse.
It won’t do the things the prime minister and the home secretary have promised, it won’t stop the criminal gangs or dangerous crossings and, in fact, it makes it easier for those gangs as well.
It won’t return everyone, in fact it makes it harder to get return agreements. It won’t clear the asylum backlog, in fact it will mean tens of 1000s more people in asylum accommodation and hotels.
