A Conservative bid to deport migrants even when judges from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rule against it has been crushed by MPs. Priti Patel was among Tory MPs who voted in favour of the bill, though Boris Johnson did not record a vote despite reports that the former Prime Minister would vote aye.
Once the votes had been counted, MPs voted 187-69 to crush the Asylum Seekers (Removal to Safe Countries) Bill which sought to “proceed with removals” to Rwanda, “regardless” of any decision by an international court. The bill was blocked in the House of Commons after less than 15 minutes of debate.
Three Nottinghamshire MPs voted in favour of the bill. Lilian Greenwood and Alex Norris, Labour MPs for Nottingham South and Nottingham North respectively, cast their vote against. All in all, 67 of the 69 aye votes were from Conservative MPs, with 124 of the 187 nay votes put forward by Labour MPs.
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Ex-ministers Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg had also been said to be in favour but did not take part in the vote. There are many reasons MPs can abstain in a vote, and today's showdown came as a surprise to some, the Mirror reports.
The Tory Government is still battling to send a single asylum seeker to Rwanda after the ECHR ruled against a removal flight. Britain has already paid Rwanda £120million to take the UK’s unwanted asylum seekers and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to plough on with the policy - branded cruel and unworkable by critics.
Nottinghamshire MPs who voted in favour of the Asylum Seekers Bill
- Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, Conservative
- Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith, Conservative
- Gedling MP Tom Randall, Conservative
Nottinghamshire MPs who voted against the Asylum Seekers Bill
- Nottingham South MP Lilian Greenwood, Labour
- Nottingham North MP Alex Norris, Labour
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