Labour MPs threatening vote on Mahmood’s controversial migration reforms
Shabana Mahmood could face a Labor revolt over controversial immigration reforms as MPs try to force a vote on the plans in the House of Commons.
The home secretary has put forward proposals to double the length of time immigrants will be allowed to stay in the UK indefinitely, from five to 10 years.
Former deputy prime minister and rumored leadership candidate Angela Rayner was among Labor MPs to criticize the plans.
At an event earlier this week, Ms Rayner said changes to indefinite leave to remain for people already living in the UK would be a “breach of trust”.
Labor MPs now plan to invoke parliamentary procedures to force a vote on the issue. BBC reportedbut the Home Office said the changes did not require legislation.
Although the vote is not binding, it could threaten to further expose the deepening fissures within the already fractured Labor Party.
Ms Rayner spoke at the same event on Tuesday as Folkestone MP Tony Vaughan, who co-ordinated a letter signed by more than 100 Labor MPs urging the government to reconsider the proposals.
He told the broadcaster MPs’ concerns were “fundamental” and urged the government not to go ahead with the changes.
One MP said the reforms should be “trashed”, while another said it was wrong to “break promises” made to people who had “uprooted their lives” to come to Britain.
A Home Office spokesman said: “As the Home Secretary said in his speech to IPPR, it is right that we address the significant burden the settlement poses on taxpayers, communities and public services.
“The government’s position has not changed; we will double the route to settlement for most migrants from five to ten.
“We are also tackling the cost of living crisis head on and our ground-breaking Child Poverty Strategy will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament.”
The government was forced to insist on Wednesday that its “position has not changed” on immigration reform after Downing Street previously refused to commit to proposals to tighten the criteria for immigrants to gain permanent residence following criticism from Ms Rayner.
No. 10 appeared to signal that Ms Mahmood was open to watering down her plans; He refused to consult on the measures while defending efforts to make the immigration system “fair”.
But in a later statement, a government spokesman said: “The government’s position has not changed.”
Speaking at the event organized by campaign group Mainstream, Ms Rayner said the party had come to represent “the establishment, not working people” and called for a change of course.
At the event he said Labor was “running out of time” to deliver change and was “unable to act in the face of decline”.
