UK Government in Turmoil Over Immigration Minister's Visa Rule Criticism

A row has broken out between Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the future of the Immigration Minister Mike Tapp.

Tapp had written for the Times newspaper, external calling for foreign care workers to be exempt from Mahmood's plans to change visa rules for migrants already living in the UK.

It is understood that the first Mahmood knew of this was when the newspaper rang her team for comment, and she believes Tapp should be sacked for writing the article, which she sees as a breach of ministerial rules.

But Downing Street is letting it be known that Tapp remains in post and there are no plans to remove him.

Tapp has been approached for comment.

In his article, Tapp had written that "it is my strong belief that those who have come to the United Kingdom on care worker visas who have played by the rules and have genuinely contributed to our care system should not be required to wait longer to apply for settlement".

"That is the issue I am working hard to address," he added.

After the article was published on Thursday evening, a Home Office source told the BBC: "Mike Tapp is expected to be sacked for breaching the Ministerial Code.

"He has taken possible ideas that the home secretary and her team were working on, and briefed them as his own to try to win a job in the new administration."

Reporters were pointed to a passage in the Ministerial Code which says: "The principle of collective responsibility requires that ministers should be able to express their views frankly in the expectation that they can argue freely in private while maintaining a united front when decisions have been reached."

On this basis, the home secretary believes Tapp should be sacked.

But No 10 are refusing to sack him.

Last month, the BBC and others reported that Mahmood had privately told the prime minister she believed he ought to publicly announce plans to leave Downing Street.

Tapp remained a strong public defender of Sir Keir until he set out his resignation plans on Monday.

Earlier, prior to this spat emerging in public, the prime minister's official spokesman said: "The prime minister and all ministers remain in office and the normal business of government continues."

The government is about to introduce sweeping reforms to the immigration system.

The Immigration and Asylum Bill, which will aim to increase the forced removal of people refused asylum, is expected to be put before the House of Commons next Tuesday and is likely to face stiff opposition from some Labour MPs.

Ministers want to double the time it takes for most migrants to qualify for permanent residence from five to 10 years.

Under the proposals, people who arrived on health and social care visas would face a 15-year wait, while those who relied on benefits for more than 12 months would have to wait 20 years.

Mahmood has defended the plans, saying the "unprecedented" number of people arriving in the UK demands an answer from the government.

But dozens of Labour MPs have opposed the plans, branding the retrospective approach "un-British" and "moving the goalposts".

Mahmood will seek to drive through the reforms, which will be inherited by the next prime minister, following the resignation of Sir Keir.

Last month Andy Burnham, who is widely expected to become the Labour leader and prime minister, told the BBC he "supports the broad thrust" of what Mahmood is proposing.