Angela Rayner Turns On Shabana Mahmood Over Migrant Visa Crackdown As Labour Split Explodes

Angela Rayner has taken a swipe at Shabana Mahmood over Labour’s migrant visa crackdown as the party’s internal war reignites just days before conference.

The Housing Secretary has doubled down on her claim that the Home Secretary’s plans to toughen settlement rules are un-British and unfair, exposing deep divisions at the top of government.

Rayner: Changing Goalposts On Care Workers Is Disruptive

Ahead of Labour’s annual Autumn Conference in Liverpool, Ms Rayner said the overhaul would hit foreign care workers who moved their lives here to look after vulnerable people.

“Especially in regards to the carers, who were asked to come to this country to care for some of our most vulnerable and then we changed the goalposts years down the line, I think that’s very disruptive. When you ask someone to come here and look after your most vulnerable and they spend years dedicating themselves, moving their lives here to look after our loved ones.”

Angela Rayner

Ms Rayner refused to say if she had raised it directly with her Cabinet colleague, adding: I think Shabana knows. It was in the newspaper at the time. I’ve not changed my view on that.

Mahmood Plans To Double ILR Wait To 10 Years

The Home Secretary unveiled plans last November to dramatically toughen the route to indefinite leave to remain, doubling the standard qualifying period from five to ten years for most migrants.

Under the plans, the changes would be imposed retrospectively, meaning care workers who came under the Tory health and care visa route would have to wait an extra decade for settlement.

That visa route, set up in 2022, triggered the infamous Boriswave which saw 185,000 migrant care workers shipped into the UK in just two years. At the time they only had to wait five years for permanent citizenship.

1,100 A Day Handed Permanent Stay As Labour Revolt Grows

The row has exploded as figures show 1,100 people are still being granted permanent settlement in Britain every working day while ministers dither.

More than 100 Labour MPs are now threatening a mass revolt over the plans, with unions and campaign groups also furious.

Earlier this week Ms Mahmood told the Home Affairs Select Committee a decision would be made very soon, claiming the government was trying to do a proper piece of work to strike the right balance.

She said: I accept that there are a lot of people wondering what rules will apply to them. It is right that the government has taken time to look at consultation responses properly.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused her of chickening out, saying: She talked a tough game on ILR reform but has delivered nothing.

The issue is now forecast to take centre stage at Labour Conference in Liverpool this weekend, with Andy Burnham expected to tinker with the reforms to avoid a full-blown rebellion.

FAQs

What has Angela Rayner said about the visa crackdown?

Angela Rayner said doubling the wait for indefinite leave to remain from 5 to 10 years and applying it retrospectively to care workers is disruptive and unfair, as they were asked to come to care for vulnerable people.

Is Labour split over immigration?

Yes. More than 100 Labour MPs are threatening to revolt against Shabana Mahmood’s plans, with Angela Rayner leading criticism from inside the Cabinet just days before Labour’s conference in Liverpool.