Politics latest: UK needs Iron Dome to protect London, MP argues; Rwanda plan dealt another Lords defeat | Politics News | Sky News

Politics latest: UK needs Iron Dome to protect London, MP argues; Rwanda plan dealt another Lords defeat

Rishi Sunak's smoking ban passes convincingly on second reading, despite high-profile Tory MPs voting against it - while his Rwanda bill is defeated again. Meanwhile, the PM holds a telephone call with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the city of Ashkelon, Israel, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen      SEARCH "GLOBAL POY 2023" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "REUTERS POY" FOR ALL BEST OF 2023 PACKAGES....     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Image: Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip. Pic: Reuters
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That's all for today

Thank you for joining us in the Politics Hub for another busy day in Westminster.

Here's what happened:

  • Peers in the House of Lords inflicted another four defeats on the government over the legislation to rescue the embattled Rwanda scheme, sending the bill back to the Commons as the parliamentary "ping-pong" continues;
  • Rishi Sunak's flagship bill to ban young people from ever being able to smoke passed its first major hurdle in the Commons - but not without a significant number of Tories opposing it;
  • Just 178 Conservative MPs voted in favour of the bill out of 347 - barely half of the parliamentary party - and six ministers, including Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, voted against it;
  • A local mayor sent police to shut down the National Conservatism Conference where Reform UK's honorary president Nigel Farage and former home secretary Suella Braverman were speaking - but the conference continued, and the attempt to stop was condemned as "unconstitutional" by Belgium's president;
  • Rishi Sunak finally spoke by phone with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu following Iran's attack on Saturday, telling him this is a moment for "calm heads to prevail";
  • The government unveiled plans to make the creation of sexually explicit deepfake images a criminal offence.

Join us again from 6am for the very latest political news - and for live coverage of the first session of Prime Minister's Questions in nearly a month at 12pm.

Tory MP says UK needs 'Iron Dome' defence system

We heard a short while ago from Tory MP and former defence minister Tobias Ellwood who is suggesting that the UK needs an Iron Dome system, like the one that protected Israel from Iran's missiles (more about the system here).

He told Sky's The World with Yalda Hakim that the conduct of warfare is changing, which was visible with Iran using drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles as part of a simultaneous attack.

"If that is the way that warfare is now being conducted - we see this not just in the Middle East with Iran's attack, but also with what's going on in Ukraine - we need to move with the times as well."

He added that the UK already has "impressive air defence assets", but says: "There is nothing protecting London, for example, in the same way that Iron Dome operates over Israel."

Asked if Britain's focus should be on properly arming itself rather than an Iron Dome system, Mr Ellwood said there "needs to be a thorough review of the threats that are emerging".

He pointed to Russia's development of low-yield tactical nuclear weapons.

"We need to perhaps wake up to the fact that we've had three to four decades of relative peace - we've now entered a new era of insecurity."

Asked how likely it is the UK will see an attack like the one Iran launched, Mr Ellwood replied: "At the moment, it's not."

He said the "biggest threat" to Europe is Russia's Vladimir Putin, and he said both the US and Europe have hesitated in providing support for Ukraine, unlike Britain.

"We need to brace ourselves for an alliance of authoritarian states working together to challenge global order," he concluded. 

Badenoch: A 'shame' vote against smoking ban viewed as leadership posturing

As we reported earlier, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch voted against Rishi Sunak's flagship legislation to stop young people from ever being able to smoke.

It has set tongues wagging that her public opposition to the PM's bill is leadership posturing.

But she rejected such suggestions out of hand, saying it is a "shame" people are seeing it that way.

She told LBC: "We need space for people to be able to have disagreements without it being put down to ulterior motives.

"Everything we do is looked at through the prism of the worst possible intention.

"And I think that's one of the reasons why politicians feel they don't get a fair hearing, that many people decide not to do this job.

"Sometimes we have to take what people are saying at face value."

Pledge tracker: Is Sunak keeping his promises?

Over a year ago, Rishi Sunak made five pledges for voters to judge him on.

The prime minister met his promise to halve inflation by the end of 2023.

But with the general election approaching, how is Mr Sunak doing on delivering his other promises?

You can see the progress for yourself below:

Which Tories voted against Sunak's smoking ban?

Earlier this evening, Rishi Sunak's bill to ban young people from ever being able to smoke passed its first Commons hurdle.

The government is claiming this as a big win - but was it really?

Just 178 Conservative MPs voted in favour of the bill out of 347 - barely half of the parliamentary party.

A number of sitting ministers voted against it, including:

  • Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch;
  • Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker;
  • Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart;
  • Science minister Andrew Griffith;
  • Digital minister Julia Lopez;
  • Housing minister Lee Rowley.

Much of the right of the party voted against it, including party deputy chair Jonathan Gullis, ex-PM Liz Truss, high-profile ex-minister Robert Jenrick, former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, among many others.

Also notable were the abstentions, with 106 Tory MPs not casting a vote either way - including the Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt.

It was a free vote, meaning the Tory high command did not tell its MPs how to vote either way. But there is a clear split within the party.

Meanwhile, not a single one of the 201 Labour MPs went against the party's instructions to vote against the bill. But 40 did abstain, however.

Podcast: Is banning smoking 'unconservative'?

"Absolutely nuts" was how former prime minister Boris Johnson described Rishi Sunak's plan to gradually phase out smoking – banning anyone born since the start of 2009 from ever being able to buy cigarettes or tobacco products like vapes.

Liz Truss, who was also briefly prime minister in between the two men, is also among some critical of the proposal – which she described as "profoundly un-conservative".

Tories were given a free vote in the Commons – allowing them to vote with their conscience, not necessarily the government.

But will the policy create a smoke-free generation? And what will it mean for Conservative Party ideology?

Niall Paterson looks at the health implications with Alice Wiseman, vice president of The Association of Directors of Public Health, and the politics of the policy with Sky's political editor Beth Rigby and Tory peer Lord Frost, who disagrees with the planned legislation.

👉Listen above then tap here to follow the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts👈

Sunak will hope the Tory rebellion on his smoking ban doesn't mean he's at the fag end of his premiership

Rishi Sunak has been badly burned by a Commons rebellion by nearly 60 Tory MPs who voted against his flagship Tobacco and Vaping Bill.

When Commons deputy speaker Dame Eleanor Laing called the vote just before 7pm, the rebels on the Conservative backbenches made a lot of noise screaming "No!"

And minutes later, it was revealed that their rebellion was not only noisy, but also a defiant show of strength by the mutinous Tory Right that will leave the PM and his allies gasping.

In an ominous but entirely predictable warning shot to the PM, the list of rebels included a roll call of the right-wing contenders for the Tory crown, both serving and former Cabinet ministers.

Topping the list of leadership candidates desperate to please those party activists was Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, who never misses an opportunity to play to the Tory gallery.

Next was the equally ambitious Robert Jenrick, who also voted against the bill, while Penny Mordaunt, another darling of the activists, appears to have abstained.

Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, dashed back from a controversial conference of right-wingers in Brussels so she could fire her latest salvo against Mr Sunak.

But the most high-profile and public rebel during the six-hour debate was former prime minister Liz Truss, who made a speech lashing out at "virtue-signalling" and "finger-wagging, nannying control freaks".

Read Jon's analysis in full below...

Streeting: It's thanks to Labour the smoking ban passed

After the government's bill to stop young people ever smoking passed its first hurdle in the House of Commons, Labour's shadow health secretary spoke to broadcasters with his party's view.

Wes Streeting said Labour has "led the debate on phasing out smoking in our country and making sure this generation of children and young people grow up in a smoke-free Britain".

He said: "It is thanks to the votes of Labour MPs we got this measure through the House of Commons today because of the size of the Conservative rebellion."

"Labour is proud not to play politics on the vote. We will get this bill through as quickly as possible. So let's get our skates on, get it through the Commons, get it through the Lords and get it under the statute book."

He pledged that Labour will implement the ban if it forms the next government.

Mr Streeting also said the government has been "slow to act" on the "explosion in the number of children and young people vaping", which he said will have "serious consequences" for their health, and also for their education, as "kids are skipping school to go and vape".

Rwanda enforcement officers told all leave is cancelled, as government hopes law will pass

By Becky Johnson, communities correspondent

Immigration enforcement staff have had their leave cancelled as the government hopes its plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda will become law this week.

Speaking to Sky News, Lucy Moreton from the ISU, the union for borders, immigration and customs, said the staff who will be expected to arrest and remove people still know very little about how they will be expected to force people on to planes.

She said immigration enforcement officers have had all leave cancelled for six weeks, beginning the week after next.

Initially, they had been told leave was cancelled from next week but that has been delayed.

Read the full story here:

Tories 'haven't learned the lesson' of Truss premiership, Labour argues

The IMF is reporting that the UK economy is going to be growing less than expected this year, and we asked Labour's Jonathan Ashworth how concerned he is about the statement of the economy.

He said growth has been "anaemic", and blamed the Conservatives for the cost of living crisis.

"And then today you've got Liz Truss parading around the studios, asking people to congratulate her for the action she took."

"But the serious point is that the Conservatives haven't learned the lesson. In Liz Truss's book, she's talking about abolishing national insurance. That's exactly the policy. Rishi Sunak has adopted."

Sophy Ridge pointed out that it is a long-term ambition, and he replied that he has not yet explained how he will fund it.

"He's got to explain how he's going to fund a £46bn commitment to get rid of National Insurance. Is it borrowing, putting pressure on mortgages? Is it cuts, the NHS, the state pension, or is it more tax for pensioners?

"Until he explains that, people can conclude he's making exactly the same mistakes that Liz Truss made."