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      Ex-Boris Johnson ethics adviser Lord Geidt found to have broken Lords rules

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · 2 days ago - 18:55

    Christopher Geidt asked to write apology letter after joining an MoD meeting on behalf of a US satellite firm that was paying him

    A crossbench peer and former ethics adviser to Boris Johnson has been found to have broken House of Lords rules by joining a meeting with Ministry of Defence officials on behalf of a US satellite company that was paying him.

    Christopher Geidt, a former royal aide to the Queen, was asked by the House of Lords conduct committee to write a letter of apology after the standards commissioner found he “provided a parliamentary service in return for payment or other reward”.

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      Party leaders to be asked to supply more information on proposed peers

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · 3 days ago - 15:30

    House of Lords Appointment Commission head says new forms for potential peers to be published

    Rishi Sunak ad Keir Starmer will be asked to supply more due diligence about the peers they are proposing for the House of Lords, the appointments commission chief has said.

    Ruth Deech, the head of the House of Lords Appointment Commission (Holac), said party leaders currently only provide “sketchy” information about the potential lords and ladies they put forward to her watchdog for vetting.

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      Rwanda bill could become law without independent scrutiny, says ex watchdog

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Tuesday, 19 March - 13:25

    David Neal says government failed to publish his report on conditions for asylum seekers in east Africa country

    Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation bill could be forced on to the statute books without fulfilling the government’s legal commitment to independent scrutiny, the former borders watchdog has told peers.

    David Neal, who was sacked last month as the chief inspector for borders and immigration, said the government had failed to publish his report examining the conditions for asylum seekers in the east African country.

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      MPs vote to throw out amendments to Rwanda deportation bill

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Monday, 18 March - 22:05

    All 10 amendments made by peers voted down, giving much-needed boost to beleaguered PM

    Rishi Sunak’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda took a step forward on Monday night after MPs voted overwhelmingly to throw out a series of amendments made to the Rwanda bill by the House of Lords.

    MPs voted down all 10 amendments made by peers over the past few weeks to return the bill to the form in which it was initially passed by the Commons in January, giving a much-needed boost to the beleaguered prime minister.

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      Passage of Rwanda deportation bill could be delayed until after Easter

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Friday, 15 March - 12:12

    Exclusive: Second round of ‘ping pong’ between Lords and Commons on bill no longer scheduled before recess

    The passage of the government’s Rwanda deportation bill could be delayed until after Easter in a move that risks a backlash from Conservative MPs.

    The second round of “ping pong” between the Lords and Commons on the bill is no longer scheduled for the last week before the Easter break in the government’s legislative timetable.

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      Sunak’s record on appointing female peers from party worst since Major, analysis finds

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Friday, 8 March - 16:00


    Unlock Democracy report notes that path to gender equality in Lords has slowed in recent years

    Rishi Sunak has the worst record on appointing women from his party to the House of Lords of any prime minister since John Major, with female Conservative peers making up only 17% of those recommended by him, a report has found.

    The analysis, from the campaign group Unlock Democracy, found just four women were appointed out of 23 new Tory peers created during his time in office.

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      The Lords have pulled apart the cruel and Orwellian Rwanda bill – yet still, the Tories press on | Enver Solomon

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Thursday, 7 March - 11:57

    Behind the parliamentary ping-pong are tens of thousands of refugees, left in perilous limbo by a broken system

    Not surprisingly, in his budget the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, made no mention of the fact that the government’s flagship plan to send refugees to Rwanda will cost taxpayers overall more than £500m. As the National Audit Office has revealed : for each of the first 300 people that will be flown to Kigali, it will cost a staggering £1.8m.

    It is hard to believe that it was almost two years ago, in a speech in the Rwandan capital, that Priti Patel, the then home secretary, presented the UK/Rwanda deal to the world as a “groundbreaking agreement”.

    Enver Solomon is chief executive of the Refugee Council

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      Rwanda deportation bill set back again after House of Lords votes

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Wednesday, 6 March - 21:27

    Rishi Sunak’s bill was opposed in 10 votes by peers, two days after five amendments were forced through

    Rishi Sunak has suffered further setbacks in the House of Lords over his controversial Rwandan deportation bill after peers defeated the government on all 10 votes.

    Wednesday’s vote comes two days after the prime minister endured his heaviest defeat in the House of Lords after the archbishop of Canterbury and former Conservative ministers had joined forces with the opposition to force through five amendments.

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      Lords pass five amendments to Rwanda bill in heavy defeat for Rishi Sunak

      news.movim.eu / TheGuardian · Monday, 4 March - 22:27

    Peers, including senior Tories, vote by margins of about 100 votes for changes to legislation, which will have to go back to Commons

    Rishi Sunak has suffered his heaviest defeat in the House of Lords after the archbishop of Canterbury and former Conservative ministers joined forces with the opposition to force through five amendments to the Rwandan deportation bill.

    The string of government setbacks, most passed by unusually large margins of about 100 votes, means the legislation, which aims to clear the way to send asylum seekers on a one-way flight to Kigali, will have to go back to the Commons.

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