Starmer hits back at home secretary over calls to sack minister
Following a public dispute with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary Mike Tapp has been “reminded of his obligations under the Ministerial Code” but will remain in his post, Downing Street has confirmed.
The row erupted after Ms Mahmood called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Mr Tapp and restrict his access to sensitive documents. His actions followed an article written by Mr. Tapp. Times about his immigration policy, which he claimed violated the Ministerial Code.
However, a Downing Street spokesman publicly rebuked both ministers, stating that “it is not the role of any Secretary of State to determine whether the Ministerial Code has been complied with, it is a matter for the Prime Minister alone.”
The spokesman added: “Mike Tapp was reminded of his obligations under the Ministerial Code, including collective responsibility and procedures for approving and delivering government policy.”
His Times In the article, Mr Tapp, who serves as Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, suggested foreign care workers should be exempt from Ms Mahmood’s plans to tighten settlement rules. The Home Secretary’s proposals would significantly increase the waiting period for immigrants to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five years to at least 10 years, and potentially longer in many cases.
Mr Tapp expressed his “strong belief” that those who already contribute to the UK care system should not face a long wait for ILR. He reportedly wrote that he was working closely with authorities to “develop a better approach than a blanket retroactive extension of five to 10 years for everyone.”
A Government source later accused Mr Tapp of “freelance on policy” and claimed he “took proposals the Home Secretary was working on and passed them off as his own”. The source also claimed Mr Tapp had breached collective responsibility and the Ministerial Code and threatened to “leak sensitive documents” in a tweet defending his actions.
Mr Tapp had previously criticized the figures against him in the Government briefing and wrote of
In a separate post, which he later deleted, Mr Tapp denied the “attempt to intimidate” and added, referring to his military service: “I saw off the Taliban and eliminated terrorists.”
On Friday evening, Mr Tapp apologized for the tweet, describing it as “ill-judged”.
He said: “I realized very quickly that it could be misinterpreted so I deleted it immediately. I wholeheartedly apologize for any offense I have caused. I have great respect for the Home Secretary and will continue to work hard for our country.”
