As Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill faces its latest test, what is at stake for the PM?

The prime minister was warned by numerous Tory right-wingers that they would strike it down in the new year if he did not beef up the deportation plans

Rishi Sunak faces a Commons showdown over the deportation scheme (PA Wire)

When Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill passed through the House of Commons last month, it was less a crisis averted and more a crisis delayed. The prime minister was warned by numerous Tory right-wingers that they would strike it down in the new year if he did not beef up the deportation plans.

But he was also warned by more than 100 of his more moderate MPs, from the One Nation Conservatives caucus, that they would vote against the bill if it fell foul of international law. Adding to the PM’s headache, the government in Kigali has warned that any indication that Britain might try to shirk its international responsibilities would see Rwanda pull out of the scheme.

And on Tuesday, all of Mr Sunak’s chickens are coming home to roost. Here, The Independent asks what is at stake for the prime minister, and what happens if his Rwanda plan fails.