Quite right! Q&A: Why Rwanda failed – and were the Tories serious about migration?
Jan 30, 2026
Discussion of why a large parliamentary majority can still feel fragile and spur backbench rebellions. Examination of whether the Rwanda deportation plan was ever deliverable and if a single flight could have altered political fortunes. Debate on the current role and limits of the UN and whether multilateral institutions deserve unquestioned moral authority.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Big Majority, Small Loyalties
- Large parliamentary majorities can still produce frequent rebellions because many MPs hold small, vulnerable seats and fear electoral backlash.
- Michael Gove and Madeline Grant argue limited patronage and shallow majorities make MPs risk-averse and prone to preemptive rebellion.
Leadership Style Shapes Party Unity
- Starmer's lack of political instincts reduces party cohesion compared with more visceral, union-rooted figures like Angela Rayner.
- Gove says Starmer's appointments and outsider background have left him weaker at managing backbench loyalty.
MP Defies Party Over Farm Tax
- Marcus Rashford? No—Marcus Campbell-Savers in Penrith rebelled over the family farm tax and had the whip withdrawn for his lone vote against it.
- Gove and Grant frame his action as driven by constituency loyalty and personal honour rather than careerism.