Nigel Farage claimed Tory rebels who abstained on Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill rather than voting against it lacked the “courage of their own convictions”.

The former leader of the Brexit Party took aim at Conservative backbenchers who had criticised the flagship migration legislation, called for it to be strengthened but then failed to oppose it. 

He also claimed the Bill amounted to “fiddling while Rome burns” and dismissed the Government’s argument that the deportation flights policy will act as a deterrent to small boat Channel crossings. 

He told GB News: “[The Prime Minister and Home Secretary are] confident they’ve got the party under control; confident that the rebels frankly haven’t got the courage of their own convictions.

“I mean, how can you one day argue that what’s being done will make no blooming difference and then the next day, effectively go along with it by just sitting on the benches abstaining, and allowing the Government to win?”

Dozens of Tory rebels abstained on the Rwanda Bill vote on Tuesday. They have warned the Government that they will vote down the Bill in the new year if their demands for the legislation to be toughened up are not listened to. 

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