Tory immigration minister Robert Jenrick resigns over Rwanda deal

Tory immigration minister Robert Jenrick has resigned over the UK government's Rwanda deal.

Home Secretary James Cleverly confirmed the news in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening.

It comes after Rishi Sunak rejecting demands from right-wingers in his party to opt out of European human rights laws to revive the Rwanda policy.

Jenrick quit after the Tory Prime Minister shunned taking the more hardline option with his new emergency legislation.

The Conservative MP was absent from Cleverly’s statement to the Commons about the new draft legislation.

Home Office minister Laura Farris told LBC that Jenrick had quit.

Soon after Cleverly confirmed the news to MPs.

Farris told LBC: “I understand that he has [quit].”

Asked why, she said: “I don’t know in all honesty. I just came from the chamber and found out after I connected to your show.”

Labour MPs shouted in the chamber, "Where's Robert?" after reports suggested Jenrick was going to resign.

“That has been confirmed,” Cleverly said after repeated questioning during his Commons statement on the plans.

Jenrick wrote on social media: “It is with great sadness that I have written to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as Minister for Immigration.

“I cannot continue in my position when I have such strong disagreements with the direction of the Government’s policy on immigration.”

It comes after Sunak published new draft Rwanda legislation.

The Bill compels judges to treat the East African nation as a safe country after the Supreme Court ruled the scheme was unlawful over risks to refugees.

The legislation gives ministers the powers to disregard sections of the Human Rights Act. It must be voted on by Parliament.

But it does not go as far as providing powers to dismiss the European Convention on Human Rights, as hardliners including sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman have demanded.

Braverman’s allies made clear that the Bill is “fatally flawed”, indicating that she believes it will quickly lead the Tories into “electoral oblivion”.

To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.