Brits, please explain [Sunak to LEGALIZE SLAVERY for undocumented immigrants, trafficked victims]

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

This SNP MP's speech is quite good.
EDIT: huh, so her name is Alison Thewliss.

[Torrain]

Aye, she was nearly elected the SNP’s Westminster leader a few months back. Definitely one of their strongest MPs.

Fairly passionate speech opposing the bill from the DUP’s Home Affairs Spokesman. Declares the bill a “shame” and a “clear use of culture wars” to try and win the Tories the next election. Quite a moment to have the DUP as the voice of reason.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Interesting that Matt Warman and Sir John Henry Hayes both spoke up about this bill and their constituencies border each other.

[Torrain]

Interesting that Matt Warman and Sir John Henry Hayes both spoke up about this bill and their constituencies border each other.

Their constituenices are both in Lincolnshire - one of the most pro-Brext, and immigrant-skeptic regions of the country.

John Hayes is a real battleaxe - he's the chair of the "Common Sense Group", which is a group of MPs basically set up to complain about culture war issues. They shepherded the leadership campaign of Kemi Badenoch, and then swung pretty universally behind Liz Truss, helping to secure her place in the leadership run-off.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Interesting that Matt Warman and Sir John Henry Hayes both spoke up about this bill and their constituencies border each other.

Their constituenices are both in Lincolnshire - one of the most pro-Brext, and immigrant-skeptic regions of the country.

John Hayes is a real battleaxe - he's the chair of the "Common Sense Group", which is a group of MPs basically set up to complain about culture war issues. They shepherded the leadership campaign of Kemi Badenoch, and then swung pretty universally behind Liz Truss, helping to secure her place in the leadership run-off.

Ah. I figured these two sets of facts were related. Interesting background here, thank you.
Also this is the first time I've heard the term "Generation X" on the House of Commons floor.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

"There are more refugees in contingency in the constituency of Kensington than there are in all of Scotland"
is this a lie?

[Torrain]

Votes on Labour amendment to kill the Bill:
Aye - 249
No - 312

***

On the Scotland vs Kensington thing, I'm just not sure. It depends which category of refugees/asylum seekers you're talking about, and I've not had much initial luck chasing down the figures.

Edit: Vote to progress the Bill:
Ayes -312
Noes - 250

[Torrain]

We've got a list of how everyone voted now. Obviously you can't read *too* much into the list of abstentions, because there's a degree of vote pairing and absence for personal reasons (see the 15 Labour, 2 Lib Dems, 2 SNP, 2 SDLP abstainers, for instance).

But 42 Tory MPs in total abstained - including Theresa May, Priti Patel, and several other high-profile names, like former Home Sec Sajid Javid, and former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, who'll probably be forced to clarify their position by the morning.

Also, serial centre-right rebels like Will Wragg, Julian Smith, Alicia Kearns, who regularly opposed Johnson and Truss during their downturns. Hard to tell right now what the real picture looks like.

Also, Boris Johnson abstained, but he could be literally anywhere right now, from a conference room in New York, to a pub in Kensington. If he abstained on purpose, I'm sure "friends of Boris Johnson" will brief the Telegraph shortly.

Also - because it’s a nice summary of the mood today. Here’s May’s live reaction to Home Office Minister Robert Jenrick saying that the bill will protect victims of modern slavery:
https://imgur.io/Lnz2SUU?r

[icc]

"There are more refugees in contingency in the constituency of Kensington than there are in all of Scotland"
is this a lie?

It certainly sounds possible, if not probable.

[CumbrianLefty]

People will know what I generally think of Cooper, but it has to be said she did decently yesterday.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Anyone who honestly believes that European conservatives are the equivalent of Bernie Sanders supporters is just too stupid for words. Like seriously, how on Earth can people claim that with stuff like this?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

When you've lost or almost lost Patel and BoJo on migrant-bashing, where is there left to go, exactly?

[Suburbia]

Tories need to lose the next election

Tone deaf oafs

Using the word "modern slavery" in 2023 and then get surprised when they are called names like colonizers, etc.

[Torrain]

"There are more refugees in contingency in the constituency of Kensington than there are in all of Scotland"
is this a lie?

Got a source on that claim now. There are 500 refugees being housed in Scottish hotels, and 600 refugees being housed in hotels in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/14/snp-accused-not-pulling-weight-migrants-kensington-offers-hotel/

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

"There are more refugees in contingency in the constituency of Kensington than there are in all of Scotland"
is this a lie?

Got a source on that claim now. There are 500 refugees being housed in Scottish hotels, and 600 refugees being housed in hotels in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/03/14/snp-accused-not-pulling-weight-migrants-kensington-offers-hotel/

Ah. Thanks.