𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour’s migration row intensified today as allies of Keir Starmer attacked Angela Rayner over her bombshell intervention on settlement rights.

Immigration Minister Mike Tapp, in a thinly veiled message to left-wing rebels, warned: “We said we’d put the country first before the election, that is what we are doing.”

And Luke Akehurst said former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner had previously “understood” many Labour voters want border security to be restored.

It comes after Ms Rayner said it was “un-British” to force foreign nationals already living in Britain to wait longer for settlement rights.

And more than 100 Labour MPs have written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warning that retrospectively changing the rules is unfair.

Ms Rayner added: “We cannot talk about earning a settlement if we keep moving the goalposts”.

But Labour Immigration Minister Mike Tapp declared on Thursday: “Not understanding a policy is not justification for attacking it. There is no ‘row back’ on settlement. The period is extending from five to 10 years.

“As has always been the case, and explained consistently, we have just closed a consultation that considers transitional arrangements and potential exemptions. Further decisions are currently being made after the 200,000 responses are analysed.

“I am in the Home Office to deliver for the country, these changes are needed given the unmanageable pace and scale of change we have seen, we are preventing 1.6 million having access to the already buckling welfare system, over a short period of time.

“None of this means we do not value the contribution of migrants, quite the opposite. The new system will reward contribution and integration.

“Polling shows that the changes we are making are popular, because they are necessary. We said we’d put the country first before the election, that is what we are doing.”

Allies of Sir Keir Starmer came out swinging on Thursday, attacking Angela Rayner for seemingly trying to launch her own leadership bid.

MP Luke Akehurst, a Starmer loyalist, said: “I’m disappointed because previous comments by Angela, who has an important role to play in the future of the party, indicated that she understood that Labour’s working class core vote wants us to be serious about controlling immigration.

“Shabana’s immigration policy proposals have strong support across every group of voters including even those who are supporting the Greens.”

Another Labour MP told the I newspaper: “All world leaders are unpopular right now and electorates everywhere are more volatile than ever, but the polls are actually moving slowly back in our direction.

“If people could stop just briefing out, stop obsessing about ourselves and focus on delivering change, that trend would continue.”

Under Labour’s plans, migrants will be told to wait at least 10 years before they can apply for settlement rights.

Foreign nationals who arrived in the so-called ‘Boris Wave’ face a 10- to 15-year wait to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

And migrants could be barred from claiming benefits unless they become British citizens.

Arrivals applying for indefinite leave to remain after 10 years must have no criminal record, speak English to A-level standards and have no debt, under Labour’s new proposals.

But Downing Street opened the door to concessions after refusing to commit to the reforms, stating it is “considering responses to the Home Office consultation”.

Sources then claimed they were referring to “transitional arrangements” for foreign nationals already in the UK.

The Tories have sensationally vowed to vote for Ms Mahmood’s plans, adding that if Labour water down the proposals, they will “show they are too weak to protect our country’s borders”.

But Reform’s Zia Yusuf declared: “The Boriswave was the worst Tory betrayal.

“Millions came without the consent of the British people.

“Most came to not work and have no skills.

“They will cost the British taxpayer hundreds of billions as they’re granted the right to remain.

“Labour are clearly not going to deal with this disaster.