UK's Sunak sees off revolt to win vote on Rwanda migrant plan

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak walks, after giving evidence to the UK COVID-19 inquiry, in London, Britain, December 11, 2023. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak avoided defeat in parliament on Tuesday on an emergency bill to revive his plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, seeing off a revolt by dozens of his lawmakers that laid bare his party's deep divisions.

Sunak, who has pinned his reputation on the strategy, in the end comfortably won the first vote on the legislation in the House of Commons after a day of last ditch negotiations and fears that some of his Conservative lawmakers would help defeat the bill because it was not tough enough.