DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A Tory truce on the small boats Bill – for now

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A Tory truce on the small boats Bill – for now

The threat of yet another civil war within the Conservative Party was averted yesterday – for now at least. However, rebel backbenchers made clear this was a ceasefire, not an armistice.

This latest flashpoint is over Rishi Sunak’s Bill to stem the tide of migrant boats, which they want see radically toughened up.

It already contains a pledge to curb the use by the European Court of Human Rights of so-called Rule 39 orders – a form of temporary injunction which was used to block migrant flights to Rwanda.

But the rebels want to go further. They have devised a series of amendments to the Bill which would remove the ECHR’s power to intervene in British domestic migration law altogether.

They point to the fact that the Rwanda flights were sanctioned by the highest court in this country and that if taking back control means anything, we must have control of our own migration system.

The threat of yet another civil war within the Conservative Party was averted yesterday – for now at least

Both sides deserve credit for defusing a potentially explosive row – the rebels for trying to achieve their aims by negotiation, Mr Sunak for listening to their concerns.

To complicate things further, the PM has also been dealing with a separate group of Tory MPs who want a softer approach, with more ‘safe routes’ for asylum seekers – though they are few in number.

Mercifully for Mr Sunak, the rebels have said they will wait until the Bill reaches its report stage later in the spring before taking any action. An uneasy truce it may be but it’s a mature attempt at compromise – and a lot better than confrontation and outright hostility.

New leader, same SNP

Humza Yousaf’s election as SNP leader and First Minister is a historic moment for Scotland and for the UK.

We already have a Hindu Prime Minister, and now a Muslim will run the Scottish government for the first time – diversity that should be cherished and celebrated.

What a pity that on reaching the pinnacle of Scottish politics, Mr Yousaf immediately resorted to tired and divisive political discourse about breaking up Britain.

Humza Yousaf’s election as SNP leader and First Minister is a historic moment for Scotland and for the UK

Instead of alienating the majority of ordinary, hard-working, aspirational Scots who reject separation, shouldn’t he be listening to their real concerns?

The NHS has deteriorated rapidly under his stewardship as Scottish health secretary, school standards have plummeted, crime and drug deaths are soaring and the road network is crumbling. This is where the First Minister’s focus should be.

Inevitably, he has also signalled support for even more punitive taxation. So it’s little wonder that he’s seen as the continuity candidate. He seems bent on carrying on Nicola Sturgeon’s failed statist, tax-and-spend policies, which have left Scotland trapped in the economic doldrums.

One person who will be cheering the result is Sir Keir Starmer. Next to Mr Yousaf and the SNP, even he looks electable.

A hint of optimism?

The British economy has a long way to go before it is firing on all cylinders. But contrary to the Left’s incessant doom-mongering, neither has its engine completely stalled.

The Bank of England expects inflation to fall sharply over this year, starting within weeks, Governor Andrew Bailey has said.

The Bank of England expects inflation to fall sharply over this year, starting within weeks, Governor Andrew Bailey has said. [File image] 

Global economic forecaster Standard and Poor’s believes UK interest rates have now peaked and will be below 3 per cent again by next year. And retail spending is back to pre-pandemic levels, according to the Office for National Statistics.

This clutch of upbeat predictions moved Mr Sunak to tell the country: ‘You will feel a lot better by the end of the year.’

After three years of economic turmoil, millions of hard-pressed families and businesses will be praying he’s right.

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