David Cameron has been summoning Tory backbenchers to Number 10 today to personally persuade them not to back an amendment to the Immigration Bill that would reintroduce controls on Bulgarian and Romanian migrants. I have learned that a number of possible waverers who could be persuaded to change their mind and drop their support for Nigel Mills’ amendment have been called to Downing Street as part of a serious whipping operation by the government.
The whips and party leadership have also been trying out a number of unusual tactics to minimise Thursday’s rebellion:
1. Tabling ‘backbench amendments’
Whips are also trying to persuade backbenchers that it is sufficient to back the amendments tabled by Stephen Phillips, which give the Home Secretary a duty to assess whether EU immigration is excessive, and to assess the effects of new countries joining the EU.
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