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On Thursday, January 18, UK Prime Minster Rishi Sunak called for a press conference from Downing Street after surviving another day of chaos over his controversial Rwanda policy. This led netizens to speculate that Rishi Sunak would announce a general election, but all the conference entailed was more information regarding the Rwanda bill.
In the press conference, Sunak claimed that the Tories were "completely united" about the Rwanda bill before opening the floor for questions from the media.
Rishi Sunak is the Conservative Party's leader and became the UK's Prime Minister on October 25, 2022. He is the first British Asian PM in the UK. Sunak was appointed as the PM following the resignation of his Conservative predecessor, Liz Truss, just six weeks into her tenure amid an open revolt.
Netizens anticipated calls for a general election ahead of Rishi Sunak's press conference
The Conservative Party, dubbed the "Tories," is by no means favored by the general citizens in the UK. According to Reuters, Rishi Sunak's popularity faced a stark decline as of December 2023. So it's no surprise that people were hoping for calls of a general election ahead of Rishi Sunak's press meet on January 18. Here are some of the reactions on X:
Despite Sunak's claims that the Tories were "completely united" about the highly-debated Rwanda bill, a rebellion emerged within the Tories before the bill's passing in the House of Commons. According to the Mirror, 11 Tory MPs, including ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman and former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, voted against the Rwanda policy.
As per GB News, 18 MPs declined to vote, including ex-prime minister Theresa May and former deputy party chairman Lee Anderson, who quit in protest on January 16. Sunak won by 44 votes, with 320 MP voting for the bill and 276 voting against the bill in the third reading.
A quick overview of the Rwanda policy and what it entails
The Rwanda policy or the Rwanda asylum plan is an immigration policy first proposed by the British Government in April 2022. According to the policy, people who were identified as illegal immigrants or asylum seekers by the UK government would be relocated to Rwanda, a country in Central Africa, for asylum and resettlement.
The policy aimed to decrease the number of migrants crossing the English Channel using small boats, stop human smuggling, and boost Rwanda's economy. According to the Mirror, the UK government has given £240 million to Rwanda, and in April 2024, a further £50 million payment is due, with confirmation of an annual payment of £50 million per year in 2025 and 2026.
There was a long, uphill battle to ensure the Rwanda bill passed through the House of Commons. Rishi Sunak was finally successful, though not without severe infighting and rebellion within the Tory Party.
As per the Mirror, Sunak declared that it was his ambition to have removal flights filled with asylum seekers leaving for Rwanda by spring. But Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former Business Secretary, said he thought it "unlikely" deportations would take place before the next general election, which is expected to be held in the second half of 2024.
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