Peers start debate on illegal migration bill, with warning UK"s standing as "great democracy" at risk if bill not amended In the House of Lords peers have just started the report stage debate on the illegal migration bill. At least five votes are expected. Lady Williams, the government chief whip, told peers at the start of the debate that they were in for a “very long day”. She urged peers to keep their speeches short. Shami Chakrabarti, the Labour peer, was next up, and she took Williams at her word. She gave a two-minute speech defending amendment 5, which has also been signed by Lib Dem, Tory and crossbench peers. Amendment 5 would add a clause to the bill saying nothing in it would require any act that would breach the UK’s obligations under various international treaties. They are: the 1950 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees including the Protocol to that Convention; the 1954 and 1961 UN Conventions on the Reduction of Statelessness; the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; the 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking Human Beings. Chakrabarti says this amendment was essential for protecting the most vulnerable. It was also about upholding the “international rules-based order”, she said, and about maintaing “our reputation as a great democracy”. Afternoon summary Daniel Korski, one of three candidates on the shortlist to be the Conservative candidate to run for London’s mayor, has dropped out after a woman accused him of groping her 10 years ago. Peers have inflicted two defeats on the government over the illegal migration bill. In the first, they voted by a majority of 43 to insert a clause in the bill saying saying nothing in it would require any act that would breach the UK’s obligations under various human rights treaties. And in the second, which took place just now, they voted by 219 to 177 – a majority of 42 – in favour of an amendment tabled by the crossbench peer Lord Carlile saying the duty to deport in the bill would only apply to people arriving in the UK after it came into force, not retrospectively, as the government proposes. The debate is still going on, and further votes are expected. Contingency plans for the collapse of Thames Water are being drawn up by the UK government and the industry watchdog amid fears that Britain’s biggest water company cannot survive because of its huge debt pile. One in 10 GCSE-year pupils have been absent from school in England each day this year, up 70% since before the Covid pandemic, a Guardian investigation has found. Ken Clarke tells peers he"s backing illegal migration bill because he has not heard any alternative solution There was some surprise good news for the government in the Lords debate on the second set of amendments to the illegal migration bill. Ken Clarke, the former chancellor who is now normally seen as being on the most liberal wing of the Conservative party, told peers that he was supporting the government on the bill. He voted with the government in the first division (on amendment 5), and when he spoke he said that previously he had not declared his views on the bill. He said that when it originally came to the Lords, he was in a “very, very troubled state of mind” because he found it hard to support. But he said that he accepted something needed to be done about people crossing the Channel on small boats, and he said the bill’s opponents did not have an alternative solution. He said: Concern about these dinghies and fishing boats bobbing on the ocean is actually beginning, if we’re not careful, to re-arouse all the bad feelings that we used to know from 20 or 30 years ago. That’s why over 60% of our population wish to stop illegal immigration. I’ve sat and tried to listen for a solution. Sadly, the only solution being put forward is this rather extraordinary one by the government, that we simply cease to entertain illegal immigration and deport to safe places. I have not heard a single alternative policy put forward. I’m not sure it will work but I’m still to hear anybody else offer anything but the possibility of litigation, or huge numbers of people coming here as the practice of trying to get over the Channel grows. Only two Conservative peers voted with opposition and crossbench peers in favour of amendment 5 to the illegal migration bill, the division lists shows. They were Patrick Cormack, the former MP, and Nick Bourne, the former leader of the Welsh Conservatives. Daniel Korski pulls out of race to be Tory candidate for London mayor, blaming "false" groping claim Daniel Korski has pulled out of the race to be the Tory candidate in the mayoral race in London after a TV producer accused him of groping her a decade ago. In a statement reported by the Telegraph, Korski said: I have decided, with a heavy heart, to withdraw from the Conservative mayoral contest. I categorically deny the allegation against me. Nothing was ever put to me formally ten years ago. Nor seven years ago when the allegation was alluded to. No investigation has ever taken place. I have been clear I would welcome and constructively participate in any investigation. However, the pressure on my family because of this false and unproven allegation and the inability to get a hearing for my message of ‘The London Dream’ makes it impossible for my campaign to carry on. I am proud of having run a positive campaign that championed new ideas, technology and talent, and the years I have campaigned for the Conservative party and to make the lives of Londoners better. I believe strongly that Londoners deserve an uplifting and positive vision for their city. I tried hard to offer that. The news agenda is becoming a distraction from the race and the Conservative party. I wish the excellent remaining contestants well and I know the Conservative party’s eventual candidate will beat Sadiq Khan and offer the kind of rejuvenation London so desperately needs. I will do my utmost to support the Conservative party and the eventual Conservative candidate. Thank you to my family, friends and all my supporters. Government loses vote on illegal migration bill as peers vote to keep it compliant with international rights treaties The government has lost the first vote on the illegal migration bill in today’s debate. Amendment 5 (see 4.05pm) was passed by 222 votes to 179 – a majority of 43. Landlords association backs Lisa Nandy on rent controls Lisa Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary, appeared to contradict Sadiq Khan when she said she was opposed to rent controls this morning. (See 10.59am.) “Rent controls that cut rents for some will almost certainly leave others homeless,” she said at a conference in Manchester. It came a day after Khan, the Labour mayor of London, appeared to move in the opposite direction. He again called for powers to introduce rent controls in response to figures showing 1,700 more people are sleeping on the capital’s streets than last year. “Ministers should … give me the power to introduce a system of rent controls that work for London,” he said. He wants the power to freeze rents for two years. The two positions are not necessarily opposed as Nandy appears to be opposing mandating rent cuts while Khan wants a rent freeze. But the National Residential Landlords Association has seized on Nandy’s position. Ben Beadle, its chief executive, said: We agree with Labour that rent controls would do nothing to address the rental supply crisis that tenants across the country now face. What renters need is a proper plan to boost the supply of homes for private rent alongside all other tenures. Housing benefit rates should also be unfrozen without delay to support vulnerable tenants who are struggling to access the rental market. Yesterday the Labour Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, also said: “As to a rent freeze, it’s a blunt instrument; it has many unintended consequences. We know in Scotland that it has led to a reduction in properties available for rent.” Daisy Goodwin, the TV producer who has accused Daniel Korski of groping her in Downing Street 10 years ago, has given an interview to Times Radio which adds to what she told the Today programme this morning. (See 9.38am.) Here are the main points. Korski, of course, has strongly denied Goodwin’s allegation. Goodwin said that Korski failed to get a directorship at a government department after she told the chair about the groping incident. She said: At one point I heard that [Korski] was going up for a directorship at a government department, and I happen to know someone who was the chair of that board. We were talking about him, and I told that person the story of what had happened to me. And that person, who I really can’t name, was very grateful to me for that information. He didn’t get that directorship which suggests that – well, it’s interesting that he didn’t get that directorship and yet he’s been backed as a candidate for the Tory mayor. She said she thought that Korski has an “impulse control” problem and that he should not be in a position of power. She said: I’m angry because I think it’s wrong that this sort of thing goes on, especially in Downing Street. I think men with impulse control problems, which I think is what Daniel Korski has, are probably not the best people to run the country. That’s my considered opinion. I would imagine a lot of other people might agree with me on that. I just think people who can’t keep that to themselves should not be in positions of power. It’s not that I’m a prude. I just think you don’t grope virtual strangers in public. She said that Ian Hislop, the Private Eye editor, was the person who told her Korski was campaigning to be Tory candidate for mayor of London and that he encouraged her to name Korski as the person who groped her. Previously, she had talked about the incident in public, but without naming the man involved. In the House of Lords peers are now voting on amendment 5 to the illegal migration bill. You can read the text of it on the list of amendments here. Amendment on international legal obligations would take "wrecking ball to constitutional arrangements", peers told Lord Murray, a Home Office minister, is responding to the debate. He says that there is nothing in the bill that requires an act that conflicts with the UK’s international obligations, and that, as a result, in one sense amendment 5 is unnecessary. But he says the UK has a dualist approach to law, meaning that international law is separate from domestic law. This amendment would incorporate international law in domestic law, meaning that people would be able to challenge the government on international law in the domestic courts. He says this means it would take “a wrecking ball to our long established constitutional arrangements”. Vernon Coaker, a shadow Home Office minister, told peers that Labour would be supporting amendment 5. Addressing Lord Wolfson’s argument (see 4.21pm), he said that if a country like the UK signs international treaties, it should abide by them. Lord Wolfson, who was made a peer and appointed a justice minister by Boris Johnson, told peers he was opposed to amendment 5. He said that, by passing it, peers would be incorporating five international treaties into domestic law. That would be a substantial change, he said, and not something the Lords should be doing in an amendment like this. Lord Paddick, the Lib Dem peer, is speaking now. He says if the UK does not comply with its international obligations, it is unlikely to receive the international cooperation needed to address the asylum problem. He also quotes the economic impact assessment published on Monday, pointing out that it says there is no academic research showing deterrence works in immigration policy. Peers start debate on illegal migration bill, with warning UK"s standing as "great democracy" at risk if bill not amended In the House of Lords peers have just started the report stage debate on the illegal migration bill. At least five votes are expected. Lady Williams, the government chief whip, told peers at the start of the debate that they were in for a “very long day”. She urged peers to keep their speeches short. Shami Chakrabarti, the Labour peer, was next up, and she took Williams at her word. She gave a two-minute speech defending amendment 5, which has also been signed by Lib Dem, Tory and crossbench peers. Amendment 5 would add a clause to the bill saying nothing in it would require any act that would breach the UK’s obligations under various international treaties. They are: the 1950 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees including the Protocol to that Convention; the 1954 and 1961 UN Conventions on the Reduction of Statelessness; the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; the 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking Human Beings. Chakrabarti says this amendment was essential for protecting the most vulnerable. It was also about upholding the “international rules-based order”, she said, and about maintaing “our reputation as a great democracy”. During PMQs Rishi Sunak said that over the past three years homebuilding had been at “almost record” numbers. He said: The record is that in the last three years we’ve delivered almost record numbers of new homebuilding in every one of those years. Full Fact, the fact checking organisation, says it is looking at this claim, although it says fact checking a vague assertion like “almost record” is not straightforward. But Full Fact did publish an analysis in March, after Sunak said housebuilding was at record levels. It concluded that this was arguable, but misleading. It explained: The number of ‘net additional dwellings’ did hit the highest point on record in 2019/20, but these statistics only go back to the early 1990s. Other metrics and housing experts suggest that, while recent building figures are higher than in some previous years, they’re generally far lower than records set decades ago. At PMQs Rishi Sunak said that, following Jeremy Hunt’s meeting with regulators this morning, there would be an announcement later today about plans “to ensure fairness of pricing and supply chains to ease the burden on consumers”. School leaders in Wales have voted to continue taking industrial action, which could escalate to strikes, PA Media reports. PA says: Members of NAHT Cymru have been taking action short of a strike since February in a row over pay, workload and funding. They voted in March to reject an offer from the Welsh government covering both 2022/23 and 2023/24 and have now renewed their mandate for industrial action, which was due to expire in July. The ballot showed 95% support continuing action short of a strike, with 74% prepared to strike if needed. Downing Street and the Labour party have both condemned the Just Stop Oil protesters who disrupted the Test match at Lord’s this morning. At his post-PMQs lobby briefing, the PM’s spokesperson said: These sorts of selfish, guerrilla tactics that target events bringing joy to millions are exactly why the government brought in new powers so the police can take swift action. The prime minister is pleased play was able to resume quickly and thanks security staff, the swift hands of Jonny Bairstow and other England players who stepped in. And a Labour spokesperson said Just Stop Oil’s tactics were “counter-productive, dangerous and wrong”. He said: “This sort of activity is not appropriate or justifiable in any way.” Here is Simon Burnton’s story about the protest. Steve Barclay says national inquiry into safety of mental health care settings to be launched in autumn In his Commons statement Steve Barclay, the health secretary, also said that a national inquiry into the safety of mental health care settings would be launched in the autumn. A new health services safety investigations body will be set up later this year, and the Department of Health and Social Care said it would “commence a national investigation into mental health inpatient care settings. It will investigate a range of issues, including how young people with mental health needs can be better cared for, how providers can learn from tragic deaths that take place in their care, how out-of-area placements are handled, and how staffing models can be improved.” Essex mental health independent inquiry to be given statutory powers, MPs told Steve Barclay, the health secretary, has told MPs that the Essex mental health independent inquiry will be given statutory powers. The inquiry is investigating the deaths of around 2,000 mental health patients at Essex Partnership university NHS foundation trust (Eput) over a 20-year period. Making it statutory will mean staff can be compelled to give evidence. Barclay said he was responding to concerns about the lack of engagement with the inquiry from current and former Eput staff.