Conservatives split again PM steps into boat battle and it could spell disaster

For Conservatives with memories long enough to remember five years and three prime ministers ago, this week's internal psychodrama within the party will have seemed familiar.

- Kiran Stacey

Rishi Sunak's fight to retain unity over immigration resembles the similar battles waged by Theresa May in 2018.

Once again an unelected Conservative prime minister is trying to negotiate between moderates in their party, who are urging them not to abandon international law, and hardliners who want them to snub Europe and go it alone.

Once again, the hardliners are backbencher Bill being led by the Cash, and once again they have set up a "star chamber" of MPs and lawyers to decide whether the prime minister's compromise solution goes far enough.

"It is all feeling very late 2018early 2019," said Gavin Barwell, May's former chief of staff. "The party is once again in an unleadable state." Sunak attempted to regain control of the narrative surrounding his Rwanda bill yesterday following the dramatic resignation of Robert Jenrick, his close friend who was the immigration minister, on Wednesday night.

"He's simply not right," Sunak said about Jenrick yesterday at a hastily arranged press conference in Downing Street. "For the people who say, 'You should do something different', the difference between them and me is an inch, given everything that we have closed.