No 10 must squash cabinet rebellion over migrant residency rights
Andy Burnham must bring the rebellious Angela Rayner into line over the migrant crackdown TOBY SHEPHEARD/Reuters J ust as Andy Burnham needs to put Britain’s energy security before the pearl clutching of his more otherworldly backbenchers, so he must ruthlessly clamp down on the developing revolt in his cabinet over the plan to extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in this country. The prime minister should order Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, and Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary, rebels both, to cease attacking the policy or face the consequences. Proposed by Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, the urgent overhaul of residency rules for migrants is vital to stop hundreds of thousands of people allowed into Britain on care and other visas in 2022-23 (and the relatives they brought with them) from applying for ILR. For care visa entrants, the qualifying period for leave to remain would be extended from five to 15 years. Once ILR status is granted, there is no going back. The doors of the welfare system will be thrown open for good to those arrivals, and others of the disastrous Boriswave, with dire consequences for the public finances. The working-age migrants of today will be the Pip claimants and pensioners of tomorrow. Shabana Mahmood fights cabinet colleagues to save migrant crackdown Ms Rayner’s argument against Ms Mahmood’s proposals appears to be that a moral debt was created when incomers took up jobs at nursing homes in the early 2020s. As she puts it, these migrants “moved their lives here to look after our loved ones”. According to Ms Rayner, that debt can only be discharged by offering ILR and, presumably, in due course citizenship. This is naive. Few people come to Britain from India, Pakistan and elsewhere to work in the care sector out of the goodness of their hearts. They are attracted by an opportunity to earn a better salary and enjoy a higher standard of living. Top stories 1 Tripsnacking? Finally a travel trend I can get on board with Advice 2 Belgium’s most stylish autumn weekend break — and it’s not Bruges Belgium 3 17 of the best cruise lines for solo travellers Cruises 4 This cosy hotel is perfect for an autumnal trip to the Lake District Lake District 5 How to see the northern lights: 15 top tips Adventure While Ms Rayner and some of her more credulous colleagues on Labour’s back benches buy this “moral debt” argument, the British people, who are cannier about such things, do not. For decades, they have watched on helplessly as the complacency and incompetence of successive governments have allowed the number of foreign-born people in this country to soar to 13 million, a staggering one fifth of the population. In London, some 40 per cent of people were born abroad. An estimated 900,000 people live here illegally. Advertisement None of this was desired by voters; none of it was in a manifesto. Yet it happened. Why? Because of people like Ms Rayner and her Panglossian faith in this country’s ability to absorb limitless numbers of migrants, often lacking skills and in some cases English, with no deleterious effect. Top stories 1 Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: ‘My kids tell me to back off when they cook’ The Sunday Times Magazine 2 From gold to tech stocks: how to build the perfect investment portfolio Saving & Investing 3 High street banks are on borrowed time Saving & Investing 4 Belgium’s most stylish autumn weekend break — and it’s not Bruges Belgium Ms Fahnbulleh shares in this delusion . Rather than concentrating on her job, she has made it her business to publicly undermine the policy of another department. While refusing to explicitly condemn the ILR reforms yesterday— her excruciating contortions on Sky News were something to behold — Ms Fahnbulleh has made clear her contempt for them. She argues: “We need a system that is based on the principle of compassion, contribution.” Why compassion? For people who came to Britain simply to work? Do British expats in the Middle East deserve compassion? She should concentrate on another “c”: capacity. Most commented 1 The Horses review — lunch with an influencer, Topjaw’s Jesse Burgess Food & Drink 92 comments 2 Tripsnacking? Finally a travel trend I can get on board with Advice 55 comments 3 My father’s Facebook posts about ‘our special angel’ make me cringe Parenting 32 comments 4 Bill Bailey: A heckler told me to get a haircut — I refused for 40 years Theatre & Dance 34 comments 5 Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: ‘My kids tell me to back off when they cook’ The Sunday Times Magazine 21 comments As with so much else, the prime minister needs to assert his authority. Migration has lost none of its potency, indeed its malignancy, as an issue. Should he dilute these changes, Labour is certain to face a fierce backlash at the next election.