Starmer refuses to back Mahmood’s immigration reforms after Rayner brands them ‘un-British’
Downing Street has refused to commit to the most significant immigration reforms set out by the home secretary after former deputy chancellor Angela Rayner criticized the proposals in a major challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s authority.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the government was “considering responses” to the Home Office consultation on the proposals and repeatedly refused to reaffirm Sir Keir’s commitment to the policy.
It comes after Ms Rayner said Shabana Mahmood’s planned changes to indefinite leave to remain for people already living in the UK would be a “breach of trust” by branding them “un-British”.
Immigration reforms, which include a series of tough measures aimed at discouraging asylum seekers and making it easier to deport those who do not have the right to remain in the country, were introduced with much fanfare last year.
Reforms are a central pillar of the government’s agenda and form a key part of Labour’s plan to win back votes from Reform England amid devastating approval ratings and questions about the direction of Sir Keir’s administration.
But when asked whether the government was still committed to reforms following Ms Rayner’s criticism on Tuesday, the prime minister’s political spokesman said: “We are a proud, tolerant and generous country.
“The Labor Party has always been about celebrating the contribution that immigrant communities make to our national story.
“We saw record levels of immigration in the four years before the elections. In the manifesto, we promised to present a fair and properly managed immigration system.
“We are assessing the responses to the Home Office consultations and will respond in line with our principles and values.”
When pressed again, he said: “We are considering responses to Home Office consultations and will respond in due course.” The consultation is understood to have been completed in February.
Ms Rayner said changing the rules for those coming to the UK with the understanding they could stay if they worked in needed sectors, obeyed the law and paid their taxes had “pulled the rug out from under them”.
“This is not only bad policy but also a breach of trust. People who are already in the system, who have invested heavily, are now afraid for their future, they have no stability and they don’t know what will happen.
“We can’t talk about reaching an agreement if we keep moving the goalposts, because moving the goalposts undermines our sense of fair play. This is not British,” the Ashton-under-Lyne MP said.
Last year the home secretary announced plans to double the time it takes for immigrants to qualify for permanent residence from five to 10 years.
Migrants wishing to stay in the UK will need to learn a high standard of English, have a clean criminal record and volunteer in their community to qualify for indefinite leave to remain.
They will also need to be working, paying national insurance and not claiming benefits under the proposed changes.
The Conservatives took advantage of the government’s refusal to commit to the policy, warning that if ministers watered down the plans “it would show that they are too weak to protect our country’s borders”.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Although we will go further, these ILR changes are a step in the right direction. If Keir Starmer is too weak to get his supporters to vote for it, he can count on our votes to get it through parliament. “We will always put the national interest first.
“If Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood water down these plans, it will show that they are too weak to protect our country’s borders because they are afraid of Angela Rayner and their own supporters.”
In her intervention on Tuesday, Ms Rayner claimed Labor had come to represent “establishment, not working people” and called for a change of course.
He argued that Labor was “running out of time” to bring about change and was “unable to act in the face of decline”.
In response, Sir Keir’s political spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is eager to deliver the change people voted for. We are making progress, restoring stability to the economy, shortening NHS waiting lists and next month we will start lifting half a million children (out of poverty).
“He is definitely on the side of working people.”
The spokesman stressed that Sir Keir and Ms Rayner maintained a good working relationship and reiterated that he “wants to see her return to the Cabinet”. However, he said he was not aware of what they talked about last week.
