Posted 1/22/2024, 7:48:00 PM
Sunak suffers major defeat as Lords vote to delay Rwanda deportation policy
- Rishi Sunak suffered a major defeat as the House of Lords voted 214-171 to delay ratifying the Rwanda deportation treaty.
- This was the first defeat of Sunak's flagship Rwanda policy and comes just days after he pleaded with the Lords not to scupper his plans.
- The Labour peer Lord Goldsmith proposed the motion, arguing more assurances were needed that Rwanda is safe before ratifying the treaty.
- Peers lined up to criticize the Rwanda plans, questioning their workability and accusing the government of obsession.
- The vote was the first test of Sunak's Rwanda policy in the Lords before a key debate on the Rwanda Bill itself next week.