Rishi Sunak braced for major revolt as Tory rebels unite over migration

Millie Cooke

By Millie Cooke


Published: 05/12/2023

- 12:06

Updated: 05/12/2023

- 13:06

The factions of the Conservative party will meet this evening, GB News understands

Rishi Sunak is braced for a major revolt with Conservative Party rebels set to unite over migration this evening, GB News understands.

The European Research Group of Brexiteers will meet with the New Conservatives group of MPs this evening, in a move that could put major pressure on Sunak to take further action over migration.


The two groups have been demanding the Government take further action to cut the number of people coming to the UK, both legally and illegally.

Yesterday, James Cleverly unveiled a five point plan to tackle migration, in a move which he said would cut migration by up to 300,000.

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He claimed the move will be the "biggest ever reduction" in migration.

The Home Secretary said that yesterday's measures will mean 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would now be denied visas.

Cleverly said the Government will raise the minimum salary threshold for work visas to £38,700 and ban care workers from bringing dependents.

It will also scrap the shortage occupation list and replace it with a new Immigration Salary List.

The Government will raise the income needed to bring family into the UK to £38,700 and review the graduate visa route.

Cleverly told the Commons: “From January 2024, the right for international students to bring dependants will be removed unless they are on postgraduate courses designated as a research programme. We always want to attract the global brightest and best.

“We have also stopped international students from switching out of the student route into work routes before their studies have been completed. These changes will have a tangible impact on net migration.”

But Suella Braverman said it was too little, too late, calling for him to go further.

Writing on social media, the former Home Secretary said: "I welcome the measures announced today to cut net migration. They are a step in the right direction. But we need to be honest. This package is too late and the government can go further.

"If the salary threshold rise only takes effect in Spring 2024, we won’t realistically see its impact until the 2025 ONS numbers. Had this been introduced a year or even 6 months ago, we would start to see a fall in the numbers before the next General Election.

"As well as these proposals, we should go further: shortening the graduate route - not just reviewing it again; & we need an annual cap, set by Parliament, across all visa routes, so we don’t get into this terrible situation again & government can be properly held to account.

"I put forward similar measures 6 times in the last year. I’m glad that the PM has finally agreed to introducing some of them now but the delay has reduced their impact."

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