Ministers are collaborating with Labour backbenchers to secure more exemptions from proposed immigration changes, amid concerns over the plans' impact on settled status. The changes, championed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, would extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five to ten years.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure from within his own party to ensure the measures do not apply retrospectively to those already in the UK. A leading backbench rebel suggested that exempting current residents could appease most opponents, though some MPs, including Emily Thornberry, demand broader reforms.
Anger has been compounded by briefings against MP Tony Vaughan, a coordinator of opposition letters, which the attorney general reportedly found incensing. Home Office sources denied involvement, but MPs expressed frustration over poor communication, with one stating they received no reply to a letter sent to Mahmood over a month ago.
The Green Party has capitalised on the issue in London, with leaflets accusing Labour of 'punishing hardworking migrants'. Labour MPs fear the Greens' byelection victory signals a threat from the left, as the government seeks to counter Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner criticised the changes as 'un-British', arguing that moving goalposts undermines fair play. A group of 100 Labour MPs previously signed a letter opposing the measures, warning they would not restore public confidence in the asylum system.
