PM's Last-Ditch Plea To Rebels: 'Come Together' On Rwanda Plan

Mr Sunak's appeal came after 60 of his MPs last night backed changes designed to make the plan tougher - and two Tory deputy chairmen quit their senior party posts to join the rebellion.

RISHI Sunak has made a dramatic lastminute plea calling for rebel Tories to save his flagship Rwanda Bill, after the biggest revolt of his premiership.

He appealed directly to his split party to unite behind the proposal to deport illegal migrants, in tonight's crunch vote.

The Prime Minister issued a rallying cry to his MPs, saying: "As a party we have to come together to get this legislation through and put the pressure on Labour who are nowhere near on the issue." Tory rebels were told the first flights to the East African nation might take off in the spring if they back the Bill.

Lee Anderson, one of the most high-profile "Red Wall" Tory MPs, was joined by his fellow party deputy chairman Brendan Clarke-Smith in backing the dissidents' amendments.

But No10 aides said Mr Sunak believes the "vitally important" Bill is the "fastest way" to get Rwanda flights off the ground.

His spokesman added: "This was a vitally important piece of legislation that provides the necessary deterrence [to people traffickers].

"The public wants the Government to do more to tackle migration. This Bill will deliver on that." If half of yesterday's rebels vote against the Rwanda Bill tonight it will be defeated, so Tory whips are scrambling to persuade them to side with the Government and save it.

MP James Daly, a member of the New Conservatives group behind the amendments, called on his colleagues to halt their rebellion and back the Bill. He claimed that the legislation is "robust" and will prevent the courts from trying to "meddle" with the will of Parliament.