Tories fight over Illegal Migration Bill

The Illegal Migration Bill is back this afternoon for ‘ping pong’ – the final stage of its legislative passage where MPs and peers bat amendments between their respective chambers until a compromise is found. There were 20 such amendments for the government to deal with and there is still a chance that some key Conservatives might rebel tonight. Ministers want to overturn 15 changes.

Two of the loudest critics are, inconveniently, former home secretaries. Theresa May has criticised the Bill throughout its passage and it is still not clear whether she will vote with the government or rebel tonight. She never indicates how she will vote before she stands up in the Commons, which means there will be a moment of drama when she stands up to speak. Her main beef – and that of former Tory party leader and work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith – is that the legislation waters down protections for victims of modern slavery.