Tory MP Lee Anderson’s name was a curious omission from the list of rebels who voted against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill. Anderson’s absence was surprising given that this week he resigned as deputy chair of the Conservative party over the legislation to ‘stop the boats’.

‘I don’t think I could carry on in my role when I fundamentally disagree with the bill. I can’t be in a position to vote for something I don’t believe in,’ Anderson said on Tuesday.

But last night, having walked into the ‘No’ lobby to vote against the Bill, the Red Wall MP changed his mind – and decided to abstain. Why? Because, he said, ‘the Labour lot were all giggling and laughing and taking the mick’.

Tory ‘rebel’ Lee Anderson says he couldn’t vote against Sunak’s Rwanda bill because “the Labour lot were all giggling and laughing and taking the mick” pic.twitter.com/9q5Wmn5UjA

— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDemianyk) January 17, 2024

‘I couldn’t see how I could support the bill..I got into the No lobby and spent about two or three minutes with a colleague in there…I couldn’t do it, so I walked out. So I’ve abstained. I wanted to vote no but when I saw that lot in there laughing there is no way I could support them above the party that has given me a political home.’