Angela Rayner has drawn blood in a cabinet clash, forcing Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to climb down over her flagship immigration reforms. The move has exposed a weak response from Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has allowed his deputy to emerge triumphant.
Rayner's Revolt Over Immigration Reforms
On the eve of the Labour Party conference, Rayner spearheaded a revolt against Mahmood's reforms, which would double the default wait for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to 10 years. Rayner expressed concern about the impact on the so-called 'Boriswave' of care workers and called the reforms "unBritish".
Mahmood has now signalled a major climbdown, weakening her tougher settlement rules after Rayner's intervention. The Home Secretary would have faced a public roasting at conference otherwise, according to a commentator.
Burnham's Weak Response
Talking on LBC Radio, Burnham rejected suggestions he would need to choose between "team Mahmood" and "team Rayner". He replied: "I'm both of them. I'm team Angela and Shabana."
Burnham did mutter that he disagreed with Rayner's description of the reforms as "un-British", but by his standards that is quite brave. The prime minister has allowed Rayner to get away with it, letting her emerge victorious.
Rayner's History of Bossing Colleagues
This is not the first time Rayner has tried bossing colleagues around. She previously handed former chancellor Rachel Reeves a list of taxes to hike at the same time as she was being "careless" with her own tax return.
Being Home Secretary is arguably the toughest cabinet job, with the department declared "unfit for purpose" years ago. Mahmood has handled it with aplomb, going as far as any Labour politician dares in trying to get a grip on the small boats crisis, though the French are still pocketing billions while the boats keep coming.
Now that Rayner knows how weak her boss is, it won't take her long to find another colleague to boss around.
