What Mahmood insisted was a “fair solution” that would cut welfare spending by billions had been characterised as the first serious test of whether Andy Burnham could keep the left of the Labour party in line, after the original plans were met with outrage from backbenchers, migrants rights groups and unions. In the event she avoided outright revolt, but was accused of watering down more punitive proposals to appease her party critics, while charities are furious at stringent new requirements for refugees, and legal experts warned retrospective rule changes now faced by many migrant workers undermine the rule of law. In an endeavour to sift the substance from the spin, I spoke to home affairs editor, Rajeev Syal, about the detail of the plans and community affairs correspondent, Chris Osuh, about the people whose lives they will change.
Commonwealth summit | Andy Burnham will ask countries affected by Britain’s role in slavery to help shape an expected formal apology, Downing Street has indicated, arguing that their input is indispensable in crafting an enduring message. Defence | British troops and their European allies would be allowed to fire back if attacked by Russians when potentially stationed as peacekeepers in Ukraine after a ceasefire, western officials said. Iran | The US launched limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island late on Monday, according to reports in US media, hours after US vice-president JD Vance said he was optimistic diplomatic efforts to end the war were moving in the right direction.
Sweden | Supermarket chains in at least seven European countries have said the temperatures of refrigerators and freezers in some of their shops soared overnight to as high as 50C, echoing a cyber-attack last month that caused millions of euros of damage in France. US midterms | Donald Trump unveiled the delayed results of his $14m renovation of Washington DC’s Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in what is expected to be his final press conference before voters head to the polls for the midterm elections. The home secretary wanted to double the wait for settlement, also known as indefinite leave to remain (ILR), to 10 years for new arrivals, as well as retrospectively for those who came in the post-Brexit wave.
Some lower-paid migrants, including care workers, would have to wait 15 years. The proposals caused controversy. Unions described the plans for retrospective changes for much-needed care workers as “cruel and unconscionable”.
A year later the political context is very different. Andy Burnham has succeeded Starmer, and the threat posed to Labour by Reform has receded significantly, while net migration is plummeting. But migration remains a top concern for voters, and YouGov polling released yesterday found that nearly half of Britons support extending the waiting period for legal migrants before they are granted ILR.
Meantime, the criticism of Mahmood’s plans has only become more vocal. In June, while still on the backbenches before her promotion back to cabinet, Angela Rayner said the care worker proposal was “un-British”. In September, the energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said the plans would have been “tough” for her family, who came to Britain as refugees.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
