Key points
- Lords set to try and pass further changes to Rwanda bill
- Bid to amend legislation again 'shows Labour's true colours', government source tells Beth Rigby
- Tory MP who complained about Rayner to police declines to say what he thinks she's done wrong
- Almost one million private renters in England given no-fault evictions since Tories promised to scrap them
- Live reporting by Ben Bloch and (earlier)Faith Ridler
Treasury dashes hopes of immediate increase in defence spending
By Deborah Haynes, defence and security editor
The UK will not increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income until after the next election, a Treasury minister has indicated.
The comments, by Laura Trott, come despite serving and recently ex-serving ministers urging Rishi Sunak's government to ramp up investment now in response to growing threats.
The prime minister has pledged to lift the defence budget to 2.5% of GDP from just over 2% as soon as economic conditions allow - but has not specified a timeframe even though Grant Shapps his defence secretary, has warned the UK has moved to a pre-war world.
Seemingly trying to obtain clarity on this commitment, James Heappey, who stepped down as armed forces minister last month, asked the Treasury in a parliamentary question "what (a) fiscal and (b) economic conditions have to be met for defence spending to be raised to 2.5% of gross domestic product".
Ms Trott, chief secretary to the Treasury, responded in a written reply on Wednesday.
"The government's aspiration is to invest 2.5% of GDP on defence when the fiscal and economic circ*mstances allow," she wrote.
"The prime minister has been clear that the target and path towards 2.5% will be set out at the next spending review."
This event is not set to happen until after the general election.
Mr Heappey pointed to comments made in Washington this week by Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, who urged European nations to increase defence spending.
"The chancellor is absolutely right, more money does need to be spent on defence in the UK and across Europe," the former armed forces minister said.
"That means we should move to 2.5% of GDP now especially given today’s positive economic news."
He was referring to a drop in inflation.
Mr Heappey continued: "But the chancellor's welcome position this morning is at odds with his deputy's more cautious response to my question.
"This can't wait until after the general election.
"Making the commitment now would be a huge statement to all NATO allies and our adversaries ahead of the Washington Summit this summer."
Coming up on Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge at 7pm
Our flagship weeknight politics showPolitics Hub With Sophy Ridgewill be live on Sky News from 7pm.
The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.
Sophy will be joined byLord Stuart Rose, chairman of Asda supermarkets, to discuss inflation.
On Sophy's panel tonight are:
- Josh Simons, director of the Labour Together think tank;
- Rehman Chishti,Tory MP and former party deputy chair.
Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.
Government source: Bid to amend Rwanda bill again 'shows Labour's true colours'
As we reported earlier, Labour peers in the House of Lords will join with crossbenchers and bishops to try and amend the Rwanda bill once again.
It comes after MPs rejected four Lords amendments last night.
The government had expected peers to pass the bill unamended tonight, and for it to receive Royal Assent and become law possibly as early as tomorrow.
But now, it appears that it won't happen until next week, with the government not planning on making MPs vote on the expected two new amendments tonight or tomorrow.
A government figure has hit out at Labour for moving to amend the bill once again and delaying its passage into law.
They told our political editor Beth Rigby: "We wanted to get it done today, but it shows Labour for their true colours."
Exclusive: Almost one million given no-fault evictions since Tories promised to scrap them
By Jennifer Scott, political reporter
Almost one million private renters in England have been handed no-fault evictions since the Conservative government promised to abolish them, new data has shown.
Research carried out by YouGov on behalf of homelessness charity Shelter - and shared exclusively with Sky News - showed that since April 2019 a total of 943,000 people had been given Section 21 notices, which is the equivalent of more than 500 renters every day.
The figures also showed unwanted moves were costing private renters in England £550m a year, with 830,000 people having to move in the last 12 months alone due to either their fixed tenancies coming to an end, being priced out by rent increases or being served with a Section 21.
Add in the soaring upfront costs for rents and deposits and unwanted moves are costing more than £1bn a year - or an average of £1,245 per person.
Polly Neate, Shelter's chief executive, said tenants were "bearing the cost of the government's inaction" and warned any further delays to banning no-fault evictions would see more people "tipped into homelessness".
But Levelling Up minister Jacob Young defended the government. He said abolishing Section 21s was "the biggest change to the private rented sector in more than 30 years" so it "takes time to make sure we get it right".
Read the full story here:
Cooper labels Tory MP votes 'shameful' - but minister hits back
We've just had some reaction to the votes in the Commons from Labour's shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper.
She wrote on X that Tory MPs "voted to insist that Afghan interpreters who served [with the] British armed forces can be sent to Rwanda.
"A scheme which costs £2m per asylum seeker. A £500m+ scheme for less than 1% of asylum seekers. Which now includes those who worked with our troops
"Shameful and shambolic."
Hitting back at Ms Cooper, the veterans minister, Johnny Mercer, wrote: "My team have worked night and day to find permanent accommodation for circa 25k Afghans who the UK have provided sanctuary to... without you lifting a finger to help.
"We want them to use safe routes, not undertake lethal channel crossings. Your concern is fake."
Lords set to try and pass further changes to Rwanda bill
After the MPs rejected all four Lords amendments to the government's flagship Rwanda bill moments ago, our chief political correspondent Jon Craig has shed some light on what will happen next.
He says: "Opponents of the Rwanda bill [in the House of Lords] are going to attempt to force another round of ping pong."
He explains that today is round three of ping pong - and it could be set to continue even longer.
"I'm told that Labour peers are going to be whipped to join in with crossbenchers, bishops, and others to vote for two of these four amendments, or similar ones, and send them back to the House of Commons."
The two amendments these peers want to force through are:
- That the safety of Rwanda be conditional on the implementation of the treaty, and reports from the Independent Monitoring Committee on the implementation of the treaty;
- For those who have worked with the UK military or government overseas, such as Afghan interpreters, to be exempted from removal to Rwanda.
Jon explains that if peers vote in favour of these two amendments, the Rwanda bill will not return to the Commons tonight - but rather on Monday.
This means "the prime minister will not get his wish to get this bill on the statute book this week".
Commons votes down final Rwanda amendment - bill heads back to the Lords
MPs have rejected the fourth and final amendment to the government's flagship Rwanda bill.
This one would have mandated that those who worked with the UK military or government overseas, such as Afghan interpreters, be exempted from removal to Rwanda.
The result of the vote is:
- To reject: 302
- To accept: 244
This means that all four Lords amendments have been rejected, and the bill heads back for consideration by peers later this afternoon.
We don't yet know whether peers will attempt to re-amend the bill, but we will bring you details as soon as we have them.
Final vote on Lords amendments under way in Commons
The fourth and final vote on Lords amendments to the Rwanda bill is under way in the House of Commons.
This final amendment would mandate that those who worked with the UK military or government overseas, such as Afghan interpreters, be exempted from removal to Rwanda.
The government's refusal to accept such an amendment has been controversial, but there are fears that, should it pass, the definition could be made progressively more broad and stop many groups more groups than initially intended being deported to Rwanda.
Speaking in the Commons earlier, illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson sought to allay worries those who served for or with the UK's armed forces could be sent to Rwanda, and declared: "We will not let them down."
We will bring you the result of the vote shortly.
MPs reject Rwanda amendment on domestic law
In a shock to precisely no one, the House of Commons has rejected the third of four Lords amendments to the Rwanda bill.
This one aimed to restore the jurisdiction of domestic courts in relation to the safety of Rwanda and enable them to intervene.
The result of the vote is:
- To reject: 310
- To accept: 240
The government will be delighted it has been rejected by a larger margin than the previous votes, given that one of its key aims has been to block both the domestic and international courts from being able to prevent migrants from being deported to Rwanda.
MPs voting now on Rwanda amendment on domestic courts
The third of four votes in the Commons on the government's Rwanda bill is now under way.
This onewould restore the jurisdiction of domestic courts in relation to the safety of Rwanda and enable them to intervene.
Of course, one of the key aims of the government has been to block both the domestic and international courts from being able to prevent migrants from being deported to Rwanda.
It is expected to be rejected by MPs, and we will bring you the result shortly.
