Peers inflict two defeats on government over illegal migration bill, including to insert protections for LGBT people in it On Wednesday last week the government was defeated in four votes in the House of Lords on the illegal migration bill. The fifth vote was delayed because of a problem with the machines that read cards as peers vote, and instead it took place at the start of today’s debate (the second day of the bill’s report stage). The government was defeated again. By 204 votes to 168 – a majority of 36 – they voted for an amendment from the Liberal Democrats saying that, if someone is not removed within six months of their application being deemed inadmissable, the home secretary must consider their claim. A few minutes later ministers lost a second time when peers voted by 216 votes to 147 – a majority of 69 – in favour of a crossbench amendment that would prevent LGBT people being deported to a country where they would have a well-founded fear of persecution, or that would be otherwise inappropriate. Early evening summary Peers have inflicted six defeats on the government over the illegal migration bill. In the most recent, they voted by 216 votes to 163 – a majority of 53 – in favour of an amendment that would ensure that, under the bill, the lawfulness of immigration detention is still covered by the common law. Other amendments have strenghthened protections for LGBT people (see 3.49pm), for children (see 4.01pm and 4.19pm) and for pregnant women (see 4.48pm). Last week, on the first day of the bill’s report stage debate in the Lords, there were four government defeats. MPs have begun debating the economic activity of public bodies (overseas matters) bill, which is intended to stop councils operating anti-Israel boycott policies. But some Tories criticised the bill on the grounds that it would prevent councils expressing their disapproval of China. Opening the debate, Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, said: The bill before the house today does four things: it honours a manifesto promise that this government recommitted to in the last Queen’s Speech. It affirms the important principle that UK foreign policy is a matter for the UK government. It ensures that local authorities concentrate on serving their residents, not directing resources inefficiently. And critically, it provides protection for minority communities, especially the Jewish community, against campaigns that harm community cohesion and fuel antisemitism. In the 2019 manifesto, this government committed to, quotes, ban public bodies from imposing their own direct or indirect boycotts, disinvestment or sanctions campaigns against foreign countries. This legislation does just that. No more and no less. Rishi Sunak risks damaging “cultural security” and faces defeat at the next general election unless emergency measures to curb net migration are introduced, a new group of Conservative MPs has warned. Sue Gray was found to have apparently breached the civil service code by discussing a role with Keir Starmer without telling her Whitehall bosses, a Cabinet Office investigation has found. Rishi Sunak is facing transparency questions over private jet travel and thousands of pounds in Conservative party donations after they were recorded as coming from a small company linked to a multimillionaire businessman. Rishi Sunak has weighed into the row over Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal at Lord’s on Sunday, saying Australia did not act in the spirit of the game. Small boat crossings last month were highest June figures since records started five years ago, figures show Crossings have set a new record for the month of June, pushing the total for the year so far to more than 11,000, PA Media reports. PA says: In the first six months of 2023, 11,434 people were detected making the journey from France, according to provisional government figures. This includes 155 migrants arriving in three boats on Friday, taking the total for June alone to 3,824. This is the highest total for the month of June since records began five years ago, PA news agency analysis of the Home Office data shows. The figures come almost six months after Rishi Sunak vowed to “stop the boats” and made this one of his five flagship pledges as prime minister. In June last year, 3,140 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel. In 2021 it was 2,177; 727 in 2020, 163 in 2019 and just four people in June 2018. Despite a flurry of crossings last month – including the highest daily total to date for the year on June 11 when 549 people were recorded making the journey – the total for the first half of 2023 is still 10% lower than this time last year (12,747). Commenting on the figures, Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said: Last month Rishi Sunak claimed crossings were down 20% because his plan was ‘starting to work’, while the home secretary claimed boats would stop from March. However, today’s figures show that crossings last month were the highest since records began. Time and again the prime minister chases short-term headlines instead of doing the hard work needed to tackle the problem. The numbers of dangerous crossings are rising again, hotel costs are spiralling, all while the government’s flagship Rwanda policy unravels in front of their eyes. Downing Street urges Israel to "exercise restraint" in Jenin Rishi Sunak, has called on the Israeli military to “exercise restraint” as a major aerial and ground offensive into the West Bank city of Jenin continues. At the afternoon lobby briefing, a No 10 spokesperson said: While we support Israel’s right to self-defence, the protection of civilians must be prioritised. In any military operation, we would urge the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] to demonstrate restraint in its operations and for all parties to avoid further escalation in the West Bank and Gaza. Government loses fifth vote of day on illegal migration bill as peers vote to limit detention powers over pregnant women There has been a fifth division in the Lords on the illegal migration bill, and the fifth defeat this afternoon. By 226 votes to 152, a majority of 74, peers voted for an amendment to keep the current rules saying that pregnant women can normally only be kept for 72 hours in immigration detention. The bill as drafted would have relaxed this condition. This time six Tories voted against the government: Lord Cormack, Lady Fall, Lady Helic, Lady Mobarik, Lady Sugg and Lady Wyld. Although the government has been losing votes on the illegal migration bill by hefty margins in the Lords this afternoon, there are not many Conservative peers rebelling. In the first two divisions (see 3.49pm), there were no Tories voting against the government. In the third, just two Conservatives (Lady Sugg, a former aide to David Cameron, and Lady Helic, a former adviser to William Hague), voted with Lady Mobarik for her amendment on unaccompanied children. (See 4.01pm.) In the vote on her next amendment, on children generally, Lord Cormack was the only Tory backing her. (See 4.19pm.) Peers are now voting on an amendment that would stop the bill weakening the rules that limit the detention of pregnant women. Ministers suffer further defeat as peers vote by majority of 79 for amendment to protect rights of children facing detention A few minutes later there was a marginally bigger defeat in the Lords on a second amendment relating to children. Like the previous one (see 4.01pm), it was tabled by Lady Mobarik, a Tory peer. This one would retain the existing rules that stop children being detained for more than 72 hours, or for more than a week with ministerial approval. The bill as drafted by the government would remove that limit. The amendment was passed by 230 votes to 151 – a majority of 79. Government defeated by 78 votes as peers amend illegal migration bill to limit detention of unaccompanied children In a third defeat, peers voted by 230 votes to 152 – a majority of 78 – in favour of an amendment to the illegal migration bill that retains the current rules that prevent unaccompanied children being detained for more than 24 hours. The bill as drafted by the government would remove that limit. Of the seven government defeats on this bill so far, this is the biggest. Peers inflict two defeats on government over illegal migration bill, including to insert protections for LGBT people in it On Wednesday last week the government was defeated in four votes in the House of Lords on the illegal migration bill. The fifth vote was delayed because of a problem with the machines that read cards as peers vote, and instead it took place at the start of today’s debate (the second day of the bill’s report stage). The government was defeated again. By 204 votes to 168 – a majority of 36 – they voted for an amendment from the Liberal Democrats saying that, if someone is not removed within six months of their application being deemed inadmissable, the home secretary must consider their claim. A few minutes later ministers lost a second time when peers voted by 216 votes to 147 – a majority of 69 – in favour of a crossbench amendment that would prevent LGBT people being deported to a country where they would have a well-founded fear of persecution, or that would be otherwise inappropriate. Suella Braverman, the home secretary, signalled her support for the aims of the new Tory anti-immigration group, the New Conservatives, during Home Office questions in the Commons. The government has rejected some of the group’s specific policy recommendations. (See 1.46pm.) But when James Daly, a supporter of the New Conservatives, asked Braverman if she would raise the minimum salary threshold for skilled worker visas, Braverman said getting net migration down was the right priority. She told Daly: We always keep the salary threshold under review. But, as I said, net migration is too high and we need to get overall numbers down. How do we do that? Employers need to recruit more people already here rather than advertise abroad so much. We also need to get more people off welfare and back into economic activity and our welfare reforms will help that objective. And we cannot ignore the pressures that record levels of people coming to the UK put on housing supply, public services and on community relations. That’s why we need to focus on lowering net migration. We expect net migration to return to sustainable levels over time and immigration policy is under constant review. Ofcom to investigate GB News and TalkTV over impartiality rules Ofcom has launched investigations into GB News and TalkTV as the media regulator struggles to handle how rightwing television channels are employing serving politicians as presenters, Jim Waterson reports. Miriam Cates and Danny Kruger named as co-chairs of New Conservatives, new group for anti-immigration Tories The New Conservatives’ website has now gone live. It says that the co-chairs are Miriam Cates and Danny Kruger, and that its president is Sir John Hayes, the Suella Braverman ally who also chairs the Common Sense Group. Cates, Kruger and Hayes all spoke at the National Conservatism conference that took place in London in May. Organised by a US thinktank, it showcased a brand of “faith, flag and family” conservatism that until recently was relatively rare in mainstream Conservative party politics. The three MPs have all been at the forefront of “culture war” campaigning and this may turn out to be a priority for the group. As the Sun’s Jack Elsom reports, Lee Anderson is not included in the list of MPs backing the new organisation. Elsom says Anderson is a supporter, but that he cannot officially endorse the group because of his role as the Conservative party deputy chair. Most of the Tories supporting the group are from “red wall” constituencies, seats won from Labour in the 2019 near-landslide election. Cates is in this category because she won Penistone and Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire. But Kruger represents Devizes, a safe Tory seat in Wiltshire, and Hayes has been the MP for South Holland and the Deepings in Lincolnshire since 1997. Downing Street rejects call from "red wall" Tories for ban on foreign carers getting work visas At the Downing Street lobby briefing No 10 confirmed that it is not in favour of the proposal from the New Conservatives group for a ban on foreign carers getting work visas. (See 10.10am and 10.34am.) Asked about the proposal, the PM’s spokesperson said: That’s not an approach we’re considering currently … We know there is significant demand in the care sector for staff. We are boosting domestic staff and backing that with hundreds of millions of pounds in support … right now we think we’re striking the right balance. The spokesperson also said he was not aware of any government plans to change the rules that let foreign graduates stay in the UK for up to two years without a job offer, which is another proposal from the New Conservatives. In implied criticism of the idea, he said: “I think people would recognise that highly trained students with the skills the UK wants and needs are people we should welcome.” But the spokesperson did not rule out the governmment imposing an annual cap of 20,000 on the number of refugees admitted to the UK. The government has said there should be an annual cap, and the New Conservatives propose it should be set at 20,000. (See 10.10am.) The spokesperson said the government wanted the Commons to be consulted on this. He said: It’s for parliament to make a judgment based on the current circumstances, which will, of course, vary. No 10 says it will create body to monitor petrol and diesel prices following CMA report Downing Street has said the government supports the recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority report calling for a body to monitor petrol and diesel prices. The CMA says consumers are paying more because of weakened competition. Asked about the report, the PM’s spokesperson told journalists at the No 10 lobby briefing: We support all of the findings from the CMA report. It isn’t right that at a time when people are struggling with rising living costs, drivers aren’t receiving a fair deal for fuel and instead being overcharged by retailers. That’s why we will be setting up a new scheme to enable motorists to conveniently find the best fuel prices in real time and easily identify who is charging fair prices and passing on savings and who is not. We will change the law to force retailers to provide up-to-date price information, increasing transparency and competition, and in turn driving down prices and easing people’s cost of living. New powers will also be handed to a public organisation, yet to be decided, to closely monitor the UK road fuel market, scrutinise prices and alert government if further intervention is needed in the market. We will consult on this in the autumn and while that takes place the CMA will create a voluntary scheme encouraging fuel retailers to share accurate up-to-date road fuel prices for August and continue to monitor fuel prices using its existing powers.