What obstacles will Rishi Sunak have to overcome in the New Year?

PM avoids defeat on Rwanda bill but faces rebellion within Tory party, threats from Nigel Farage and his own unpopularity

Rishi Sunak climbing a ladder over a wall
The embattled prime minister might have avoided a leadership challenge for now, but he is more unpopular than ever
(Image credit: Illustrated / Getty Images)

Although Rishi Sunak narrowly avoided defeat over his Rwanda bill, Westminster is awash with speculation that it might not be such a happy new year for the prime minister.

Dozens of MPs abstained on the vote over the emergency legislation, which passed at second reading by 313 votes to 269 and was introduced after the Supreme Court ruled that the Rwanda deportation policy was unlawful. Despite days of turmoil and alleged scheming, no Conservative MP voted against the bill. 

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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.