London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Tory peer withdraws name from key amendment to borders bill

Tory peer withdraws name from key amendment to borders bill

Sources say Philippa Stroud had been put under pressure and told she may lose the Conservative whip
A prominent Conservative peer withdrew her name from a key amendment to the borders bill, amid a “fierce whipping operation” to secure the controversial nationality and borders bill.

The government was defeated three more times in the Lords, meaning a further potential standoff between peers and MPs including on asylum seekers’ right to work.

The home secretary, Priti Patel, was among those personally lobbying Conservative peers on Tuesday night in a series of tight votes in the House of Lords that will see at least three amendments to the nationality and borders bill return to the Commons.

Philippa Stroud, who was a key figure behind Conservative rebels’ failed efforts to force the government to reverse the £20-a-week universal credit cut, had tabled an amendment to give asylum seekers the right to work after six months.

But sources in the Lords said Lady Stroud had been put under pressure – claiming she had been told she may lose the Conservative whip – and the amendment was eventually put in the name of Labour’s Ruth Lister. The amendment passed the Lords by a single vote.

Peers described a major Tory whipping operation to try to secure the bill before recess, with Lords promised the opportunity to socialise in order to coax them to stay for late night voting. Despite three defeats, peers passed one of the bill’s most controversial measures, the offshoring of refugee claimants.

At least 66 Tory MPs and peers had given their backing to the proposal, via a letter to the prime minister last month, urging a change to the bill to let asylum seekers work after six months, rather than a year.

One senior Tory called the proposals in the bill “morally indefensible and economically illiterate” but said there was very little appetite from the government for compromise.

Labour is facing a dilemma on whether to keep on with a “ping pong” of the bill, though sources said they were still hopeful of being able to force some concession before parliament is prorogued on Thursday. If Lords return the bill to the Commons yet again, MPs may be forced to sit next week to pass the bill.

A Labour source in the Lords said: “We’re clearly hitting a brick wall with the home secretary who appears overly focused on ramming this legislation through and ignoring carefully thought-through advice from peers across the House about why aspects of this bill are unworkable.”

Previously just two MPs, Simon Hoare and Tim Loughton, rebelled in the Commons when the amendment was returned to the Lords but more MPs, including the former cabinet minister Robert Buckland, have been working to try to reach a compromise.

Current rules mean asylum seekers may be granted permission to work if a decision on their claim has been delayed for more than a year. Any job must be on the Home Office’s shortage occupation list until their claim is approved or rejected.

Lords returned the nationality and borders bill to the Commons on Tuesday night, as part of the “ping-pong” on amendments that mean MPs will get another chance vote on amendments on Wednesday.

The bill has suffered a string of 12 defeats in the Lords at the last debate. On Tuesday, peers debated six amendments including the right to work, new stringent conditions on “offshoring” refugees in the wake of the Rwanda proposal from the government, and removing the provisions that criminalise arrivals in the UK.

Six amendments were put to peers on Tuesday night, with three defeated by the government including the offshore processing of refugees in Rwanda. One Tory said there was limited appetite for rebellion on that issue from centrist Tories and crossbenchers because there was a widespread belief the policy would never happen because of legal challenges or extraordinary costs.

MPs will debate two other Lords amendments, one from Labour’s Shami Chakrabarti on refugee convention protection and one which would not disqualify refugees who made brief stopovers in other countries.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
×