Ex-minister Jonathan Gullis will today launch a counter-offensive against the ECHR, in an attempt to begin flights to Rwanda immediately. A Ten Minute Rule Bill will be presented to the Commons by Gullis today, and is backed by a cadre of senior Conservatives, including:

• Boris Johnson
• Priti Patel
• Jacob Rees-Mogg
• Nadine Dorries
• Mark Francois
• Andrea Jenkyns
• Pauline Latham
• Tim Loughton
• Ben Bradley
• Lia Nici
• Mark Jenkinson

The Bill, if passed, would permit the Government to ignore the European Court’s blocking of deportation flights, allowing them to resume immediately. Gullis shrewdly draws comparisons to David Davis’s successful battle against the ECHR to ban prisoner voting, which the court had ruled was a breach of human rights. 

While a Ten Minute Rule Bill would usually be of no consequence, Politico Playbook hears the Bill may be opposed by opposition members, meaning a tricky vote lies ahead for the Government.

When pressed yesterday by Simon Clarke whether he’d move against the ECHR should his latest small boats policy fail, Rishi sheepishly dodged the question. Now the party bigwigs are moving to do just that. Popcorn at the ready…