Sir Keir Starmer is taking advice on whether Home Office minister Mike Tapp breached government protocol after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called for his dismissal over an article that contradicted official immigration policy. Ms Mahmood has demanded the Prime Minister sack Mr Tapp and has denied him access to sensitive documents without her approval, following his Times article proposing that foreign care workers be exempt from her plans to tighten settlement rules.
Collective Responsibility Questioned
The Prime Minister is seeking guidance on whether Mr Tapp violated the ministerial code by publishing the piece, as it appears to conflict with the convention of collective responsibility, which prohibits ministers from publicly disputing official policy. The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters that Sir Keir was “taking advice in the usual way” and that it was ultimately his decision whether Mr Tapp's actions constituted a breach.
It is standard practice for such matters to be referred to the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics team (PET), which upholds government standards. When asked if Sir Keir agreed with the substance of Mr Tapp's article, the spokesman described it as indicative of ideas the Home Office was “exploring” but stressed it represented only the minister's personal views.
Government Policy and Internal Tensions
The Government “will double the route to settlement from five to 10 years,” the spokesman confirmed, adding that ministers are currently reviewing 200,000 responses to a consultation on the policy. Despite the rift, the spokesman indicated that Sir Keir retains confidence in both Mr Tapp and Ms Mahmood and believes they can continue working together at the Home Office. However, it is understood that Mr Tapp is now barred from accessing sensitive files and meetings without the Home Secretary's approval.
Mr Tapp claimed on Friday that he had “receipts” proving he had spearheaded work on an exemption from Ms Mahmood's policy on curbing indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for migrants. This remark was interpreted by some in government as a threat to share sensitive information.
Government Source and Tapp's Response
A government source stated: “Mike Tapp wrote a piece in a national newspaper freelancing on policy without the knowledge or agreement of the Home Secretary or her team. He took proposals that the Home Secretary was working on, and briefed them as his own. In doing so, he has broken collective responsibility and has breached the ministerial code. Now he is threatening to leak sensitive documents. The Home Secretary has asked the Prime Minister to sack him.”
Mr Tapp earlier criticized figures within government briefing against him, posting on X: “It's gone from ‘he broke the ministerial code’ to ‘he stole my idea’. I have put my views across on a policy I've been working on for months (I have the receipts) in an Op Ed in the Times. Give it a read, and let's continue to discuss.” In his article, he expressed a “strong belief” that care workers already in the UK should not face longer waits for ILR and noted he had been working with officials to “develop a better approach than a blanket retrospective extension from five years to 10 years for everyone.”
Broader Political Context
Mr Tapp publicly pledged loyalty to Sir Keir even as his authority waned across the Parliamentary Labour Party. The questions over his future come amid broader turmoil at the top of government, with Andy Burnham emerging as a potential frontrunner to replace the Labour leader as early as July 17.
