RISHI Sunak told Tory rebels today that there’s wiggle room in the Rwanda Bill to make it “even more effective”.
Visiting a North London school, the PM said he’s open to amendments from right wingers that would “improve” his fresh emergency deportation legislation.
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But any change to the Bill would have to be “respectable” and not water down the role of European courts.
It comes as the PM will travel to Italy on Saturday where he’ll meet his counterpart Giorgia Meloni talks on small boats.
A No10 spokesman said: “They have talked before as G7 leaders about the challenge that Europe is facing on migration, particularly on illegal migration.
“Obviously, Italy are very much at the forefront of that on the borders of Europe.
“So these are very much shared challenges. They have expressed shared perspectives in how to look at that.”
Mr Sunak faces a major battle to save the Bill from being shot down by rebels when the Commons returns after Christmas.
Members of hard-line Tory factions known as the “five families” have threatened to “kill the Bill” because it doesn’t completely strip the ECHR of power to stop deportation flights.
Meanwhile, the Rwandan government say if international law is further weakened it will pull out of the deal.
And moderate One Nation Tories say they won’t vote for a Bill that completely disregards the Human Rights Act.
Reaching out an olive branch to right wing sceptics, Mr Sunak said: “I’ve been very consistently clear, as have all ministers, if there are ways that the legislation can be improved, to be made even more effective – with a respectable legal argument and maintaining the participation of the Rwandans in the scheme – of course we would be open to that, who wouldn’t be?
“We are confident this is a very strong piece of legislation. I think most legal experts, former judges have all said that the legislation is incredibly strong, it is effective, it will work.
“The key now is to get it on the statute books so we can get the scheme up and running.”
The PM added: “The question really is for everyone who is trying to block that from happening, and first and foremost, the Labour Party.
“We’re very clear, we want to stop the boats, I want to tackle this problem.
“The Conservative Party is united in wanting to stop the boats, the Labour Party to a person voted against this legislation.”
A No10 spokesperson today said Mr Sunak is “very keen to hear more” from MPs on his Rwanda Bill.
“We continue to believe that the Bill is the right way forward. It is what is necessary to get flights off the ground and off the ground quickly,” the PM’s official spokesman said.
“We talked yesterday about the parameters the Bill needs to work under but with in that we are very keen to hear more from MPs.”
Mr Sunak attempted to wrest back control of his party after heading off a Tuesday night revolt on his Rwanda Bill.
Right-wing Tories have warned of more trouble if the PM fails to beef up the legislation after Christmas, when it returns to the Commons.
But Home Secretary James Cleverly insisted “the Conservative Party is united” in its aim to get the Rwanda plan through.
He said he would meet rebel group commander MP Mark Francois to “understand their thinking”.
But he warned “killing the bill” would be the worst move, as it would sink the Government’s entire Rwanda policy.
In a Spectator interview, Mr Sunak said he was “keen to crack on” with removal flights.
He trumpeted his success in slashing Channel crossings, saying: “If someone had said to me, ‘You are going to have reduced the number of small boat arrivals into this country by a third’, after they had quadrupled in the last few years, I think someone would have said, ‘What are you smoking?’.”
