James Cleverly insisted the Government’s target of starting Rwanda deportation flights in the spring next year was still “credible” despite Tory infighting over Rishi Sunak’s flagship migration legislation. 

The Home Secretary said he believed a spring start date remained a “credible timescale” despite the fact rebel Tory MPs have warned they could vote against the Rwanda Bill in the new year unless ministers strengthen it. 

The Rwanda Bill cleared its second reading in the House of Commons last night in a boost for Mr Sunak but dozens of Conservative MPs abstained. 

The view held by many in Westminster this morning is that Mr Sunak won the battle but the war over the Bill is still to come. 

Asked when the first flights will take place, Mr Cleverly told Sky News: “We have got to get this Bill through the House of Commons and the House of Lords. That will take some time. 

“There is already preparations that we are [taking]. The point is we still respect, just as we respected the law lords, their lordships in the Supreme Court, when they handed down their judgement, we respected it, we acted upon it, we respect the parliamentary process. 

“We are going to move quickly but we are going to make sure we get this right. We want to get flights off next year, ideally in the spring, I think, is a credible timescale.” 

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