Asked about the divisions and various factions within the Conservative Party over the Rwanda bill, Tomlinson says the Tories are a "broad church".

He tells BBC Breakfast if there is one thing to unite his colleagues it's "our determination to stop the boats".

Jon Kay points out the public objections yesterday from high profile MPs who don't think it will work - Tomlinson says it's his job to listen to their concerns, understand them and then explain how the plan will work.

He adds the bill will address both Tory concerns and that of the Supreme Court, adding that Rwanda has not been declared a safe country "because we say so" - but through a "legally binding treaty" with Rwanda's government.

Michael Tomlinson is asked about pausing and pulling the bill - the minister is clear to say the bill will be going through parliament.

He says he will be making the case for the government just after 19:00.

"It respectfully listens and responds to the Supreme Court judgement made in November. It builds on that, it shuts down that loophole and that is the debate we will be having."

Tomlinson insists it is his "aim and intention" to make sure the bill passes this evening.

Image source, POOL INTERVIEW

We've just heard from Labour for their view on the Rwanda plan and the government are speaking to the BBC as well.

The new illegal migration minister, Michael Tomlinson, is on BBC Breakfast right now - so you can watch along again by clicking play on the top of the page.

We'll have his quotes here soon.

Turning to his speech in Milton Keynes later today, Starmer says he will be addressing Labour voters and those who traditionally vote Conservative.

He tells BBC Breakast his speech comes four years to the day since the 2019 General Election - when Boris Johnson's Tories won power.

"What I am going to do is compare and contrast the change we have made in the Labour Party.

"It is a party which is ready to serve and has a plan for the future. Compare that with the Conservative Party which is fighting among itself and self indulgently fighting for leadership.

"The country desperately needs change. The Tories can't provide that change - they're the problem."

The Labour leader is asked about the possibility of signing return agreements with EU countries, which the government says would involve 100,000 migrants coming to the UK each year.

Starmer describes this as "nonsense" and says "nobody is talking about 100,000 migrants coming here under an EU deal".

He doesn't answer what is the number he would accept, going to on say the Albanian returns scheme does not involve people coming to the UK.

Starmer says the country needs to get a grip on this and repreats that the way to do this is to process the backlog of people waiting

"This is an intolerable situation the government has put us in," he tells BBC Breakfast.

Starmer says he would put the money "being wasted on the Rwanda scheme" and use it for extra policing to stop boats coming across the English Channel.

"The boats are effectively being made to order," he tells BBC Breakfast. "It is possible to smash that activity."

He goes on to claim the Conservative MPs and the government are "obsessed with themselves".

Starmer adds: "It has now become an argument in the Tory Party, who said this, who is voting for that."

Labour leader Keir Starmer is asked what his alternative to the Rwanda plan is, replying that the most effective thing to be done is to "smash the criminal gangs running this vile trade" of putting people in small boats.

He says while he was director of public prosecutions he worked with other countries to stop criminals, adding that similar could be done to prevent small boats.

Starmer adds that the other thing that needs to be done is to reduce the backlog of asylum claims by processing them faster.

He says the third thing to sort is to remove people to the country they have come from, should their claims be rejected.

Starmer says that he would not spend £290m on a scheme that will not work, describing the plan as "performance art".

The Labour leader has just begun his interview on BBC Breakfast - we'll bring you what Keir Starmer has to say here.

If you'd like to watch along, you can do so by clicking play at the top of this page.

Ahead of Rishi Sunak's breakfast meeting, senior figures within the Conservative Parliamentary Party have urged their colleagues to back his plans.

Former defence secretary Ben Wallace has urged his fellow Tory MPs not to "wreck" the government by voting down the bill.

Writing in the Telegraph, external, he warned against "making the perfect the enemy of the good".

Former attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox told BBC Newsnight that "if we go on like this of course we're going to switch off millions of people upon whose votes we depend".

"This bill is the beginnings of the solution to the problem… We need to unite - improve it - but get it through," he told the programme last night.

Sunak's authority is on the linepublished at 07:03 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2023

07:03 GMT 12 December 2023

Chris Mason
Political editor

Invited to Downing Street for breakfast. Wooed in person, wooed over the phone, wooed over the airwaves.

The government is embarking on a persuasion job, the like of which we've not seen since Rishi Sunak became prime minister.

MPs are being tracked down physically - to make sure they are around to vote later. And MPs are being tracked down politically - to make sure ministers know how they're intending to vote.

About 20 MPs have been invited in to No 10 first thing for some cornflakes or perhaps something even more alluring.

Senior government figures are adamant, for now at least, that the vote will definitely go ahead.

And here's more on why every vote will count.

Image source, Reuters

Today marks four years since the 2019 general election and to mark the occasion Sir Keir Starmer is to make a speech on migration in Milton Keynes later this morning.

Sir Keir is expected say the government's Rwanda plan is "political performance art" that will "never work".

Before this speech, we are expecting to hear from the Labour leader on BBC Breakfast at 07:10 this morning.

We are also expected to hear from the new minister for illegal migration - Michael Tomlinson - who only took up his role a few days ago after Robert Jenrick quit over Rwanda legislation.

Image source, Getty Images

So what's on the menu for Rishi Sunak's breakfast summit at Downing Street today? In short - trying to persuade Tory MPs to back his flagship Rwanda bill, with a key vote on the plan due to take place later.

The bill seeks to revive the government's plan to send some asylum seekers to the east African country. Some MPs on the right of the party say it doesn't go far enough, while centrists have warned against any changes that could breach international law.

Sunak has made it one of his key priorities to "stop the boats", with the Rwanda policy central to the plan by deterring migrants from crossing the Channel.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill faces its first Parliamentary test this evening, when MPs get a chance to debate and vote on its main principles.

A rebellion could not only sink the scheme but also damage the prime minister's authority.

Read more here.

Thomas Mackintosh
Live reporter

Good morning and welcome to our political coverage, as Rishi Sunak is set to host a breakfast meeting at Downing Street as he attempts to persuade potential Conservative rebels to vote in favour of his Rwanda legislation tonight.

Yesterday, some centrist Conservative MPs said they will be willing to back his plan, but some on the right say "major surgery" is still required to fix it.

We will be building up to tonight's vote with expert analysis from our team of correspondents and bringing you the latest developments in and around Westminster.

Stay with us.