Rishi Sunak's Tory MPs fell into line on Wednesday, despite predictions of a rebellion (Image: PA)
Conservative MPs who backed Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill despite saying a day earlier that the legislation would not work have “lost their moral compasses”, Reform UK deputy leader Ben Habib has claimed in a scathing assessment.
And Mr Habib, who is contesting next month’s Wellingborough by-election, also said he was “not surprised” by a new YouGov poll putting his party on 12 percent, its highest ever total.
Mr Sunak’s Bill passed its third reading in the Commons by 320 votes to 276 on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, roughly 60 Tories had backed various amendments - including one submitted by ex-minister Robert Jenrick - aimed at beefing up the law to make it more difficult for asylum seekers to lodge legal appeals against decisions to fly them to the east African country.
However, the anticipated rebellion appeared to fizzle out, with just 11 Conservative MPs - among them former Home Secretary Suella Braverman - subsequently voting against.
READ MORE: Ursula von der Leyen's dismay as Guy Verhofstadt accuses her of EU blackmail
Ben Habib campaigning in Wellingborough, which goes to the polls next month (Image: Getty)
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Taking a break from campaigning Mr Habib, founder of commercial property fund management company FProp, told Express.co.uk: “It was extraordinary to see so many so-called centre-right Conservative Party MPs demand amendments, without which they claimed the Rwanda policy would never work, only to capitulate the next day and support the draft put forward by the Prime Minister.
“It suggests that they aren't in contact with their moral compasses, because they supported a bill which they had just 24 hours earlier said does not work.
“That is the state of the Conservative Party. The nation isn't stupid. It sees them for what they are.”
Referring to the YouGov survey, he continued: “I'm not surprised by Reform UK is rising in the polls.
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YouGov's poll puts Reform UK on 12 percent - its highest ever total (Image: YouGov)
“There is only one party that is actually championing the democratisation of the economy, putting more money into people's pockets, particularly the working and middle classes, championing small businesses and businesses and wanting to cut business rates on shopkeepers and reduce corporation tax on businesses.
“There's only one party that understands that immigration is not a positive for anything other than large business, and that it is damaging the economy by putting an unfair burden on the infrastructure of the United Kingdom and tearing at the social fabric of the United Kingdom. Neither of the other parties understand that.”
Mr Habib claimed the Tories had “wilfully allowed in three and a half million people into the country in the last three years”, adding: “No country can cope with that speed of change and they've made a complete hash of illegal migration.
“Their Rwanda policy is never going to work whether or not they can get it through the Commons is academic.
Rwanda Bill passes third reading in Commons
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"It's not going to work. Even if planes take off it will not act as a deterrent.
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“It’s more Tory optics rather than dealing with the problem.
The Conservative Party is utterly broken. It's not fit for government.
“Reform UK is the only ‘small c’ conservative party worth voting for.”
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