London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 25, 2025

Small boats bill clears Commons hurdle but Tories call for changes

Small boats bill clears Commons hurdle but Tories call for changes

Suella Braverman faced pleas from backbench Conservative MPs to reform the Government's controversial asylum policy

The Government’s controversial small boats bill cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons despite concerns from Tory backbenchers.

A number of Tory MPs, including former Prime Minister Theresa May, called for amendments to the controversial Illegal Migration Bill before the legislation passed its second reading on Monday night. MPs voted 312 to 250, majority 62, to give it a second reading.

Tories raised issues with a provision allowing the Home Office to deport children and the “blanket dismissal of anyone facing persecution” while criticising how swiftly it was introduced after similar legislation last year in a fiery debate in the Commons on Monday evening.

Former Home Secretary and Prime Minister Theresa May said: “Whenever you close a route, the migrants and the people smugglers find another way.

“Anybody who thinks that this bill will deal with the issue of illegal migration once and for all is wrong.”

Mrs May said the bill “shouldn’t supersede” similar anti-small boat legislation introduced last year, whose impact is “not yet known”.

She also raised concerns about the “blanket dismissal of anyone facing persecution” who arrives in the UK on small boats, including human trafficking victims.

Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland KC urged the Government to scrap a clause in the legislation which would give the Home Office the right to deport children, and to focus on providing more legal routes for asylum seekers.

“My strong suggestion to them when we come to amendment is to ditch that clause and to look very carefully at the way in which we deal with unaccompanied children, families and women.

Suella Braverman defended her policy in the Commons


He warned his colleagues that their tone surrounding the bill was “not appropriate” and urged them to “do better”.

He added: “We’ve got to do more on safe and legal routes. In fact doing that would strengthen the government’s case. But that must happen in tandem with this legislation."

Before the bill’s second reading, Tory MP Chris Skidmore declared he was “not prepared to break international law or the human rights conventions” before confirming he would not not vote for the bill.

Other senior Tories who have previously voiced concerns over the legislation include former Cabinet minister David Davis and Simon Hoare, chairman of the Commons Northern Ireland Committee, who is urging the PM to include legal and safe asylum routes to Britain in the bill so it is “tough and humane”.

Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset, said that he and other Tory MPs would offer their support at the Bill's second reading on Monday evening on the basis that amendments follow.

Mr Hoare told the Commons: "There will be many on this side of the House, me included, who will vote for this Bill this evening, but with the clear understanding that we wish to see amendments to it as it progresses through Parliament, in particular in relation to women who are trafficked and to children.”

The Opposition condemned the bill, with Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper claiming it will “lock up children”.

“It will lock up children, remove support and safe refuges from women who have been trafficked, and it will deny citizenship for people like Mo Farah,” she told the Commons.


“The last law that they passed on this just nine months ago made everything worse. We saw dangerous crossings go up, delays go up. Now they are seriously expecting us to do all the same things again.”

The Home Secretary said the Illegal Migration Bill is needed as people arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel have “overwhelmed our asylum system”, before adding there has been “too much” immigration in recent years.

Ms Braverman also told the House of Commons she has been subject to the “most grotesque slurs” for saying “simple truths” about the impact of migration on the country.

She added she will “not be hectored by out-of-touch lefties” who suggest a “person’s skin colour should dictate their political views”.

The controversial Bill is designed to stop people claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through on small boats and has been denounced by the UN’s refugee agency as an effective “asylum ban”.

Powers would be granted to detain migrants for 28 days without recourse for bail or judicial review, and then indefinitely for as long as there is a “reasonable prospect” of removal.

Challenges based on modern slavery laws would be barred, and any other legal attempt to stay would be heard overseas – after they are removed.

While the bill was debated in the House of Commons, large crowds of protesters gathered outside in London’s Parliament Square. They held placards reading ‘Refugees welcome’ while other demonstrations were held in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Protest in London’s Parliament Square


Labour tabled an amendment which sought to block the Bill but it was defeated by 249 votes to 312, majority 63.

After the votes, Ms Braverman said in a statement: "Tonight's vote proves what we already knew - the Labour Party cannot be trusted to stop the boats and the gangs that profit.

"Labour not only has no plan to stop the boats, they have no desire to either."

Meanwhile Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “pleased” that the dispute between Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker and the BBC had been “resolved”.

Mr Lineker will return to Match Of The Day and the BBC will review its social media guidelines for freelancers following Mr Lineker’s tweet comparing the language used around the Illegal Migration Bill to 1930s Germany.

The corporation’s sports coverage suffered over the weekend after a host of presenters and pundits pulled out of BBC shows due to Mr Lineker being asked to step away from his programme.

BBC director-general Tim Davie said the presenter will “abide by the editorial guidelines” until a review has taken place.

BBC chairman Richard Sharp is facing pressure to resign as the corporation’s policy on impartiality has been called into question.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
×