DAVID Cameron tonight threatened to get tough on Euro judges if they moved to thwart the Rwanda plan.
The Foreign Secretary sought to reassure anxious Tory MPs of his stance on the controversial European Court of Human Rights.
GettyDavid Cameron addressed Tory MPs tonight[/caption]
Sources said he stressed the importance of punching on with Rishi Sunak’s new plan for emergency legislation and a new treaty – and then take on Strasbourg if pushed.
The ex-PM even slapped down his close pal George Osborne for suggesting he was soft on the issue – saying his former Chancellor does not know his views on the subject too well.
Newly enobled Lord Cameron was grilled this evening at a packed meeting of the Conservative 1922 committee.
Sources at the gathering told The Sun his opening remarks stressed the importance of stopping the boats – a totemic issue for many Tories.
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They said the ex-PM insisted he had first-hand experience with the European Court of Human Rights and knew what a pain it could be.
Lord Cameron cited his own battle in stripping prisoners of voting rights, an ECHR no-no which he continued to defy as PM.
Last week Mr Osborne said bringing the former PM back into government signalled that leaving the ECHR – demanded by some Tories – was off the table given his stance.
Many other Tory MPs including sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman want Mr Sunak to go further by disapplying all ECHR or Human Rights Act laws in migration policy.
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick is also said to be pushing this idea privately but has received pushback from Cabinet colleagues.
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Supreme Court judges tore the Rwanda plan apart last week because it violated several international treaties as well as domestic law.
The PM scrambled to salvage the policy – which has already cost £140million – by announcing new laws to declare the East African nation “safe” so domestic courts will throw out appeals.
Today Government lawyer Lord Pannick was spotted clutching a draft of the new Removal to Rwanda Bill.
The grainy picture appeared to show reference to the Human Rights Act, sparking speculation Mr Sunak could be poised to disapply parts of it.
Mr Sunak also vowed to ignore ECHR so-called “pyjama injunctions” where anonymous Strasbourg judges scupper removal flights at the last minute.
Lord Cameron likened his address to Tory MPs tonight as “a bit like going back to school” and got a rapturous reception from backbenchers.
Sir Oliver Heald described his performance as “vintage”, while Robert Halfon called it “classic”.
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