Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused a request from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to dismiss Immigration Minister Mike Tapp, creating internal turmoil within the Home Office. The dispute centers on an article published by Mr. Tapp in The Times, in which he advocated for foreign care workers to be exempted from the Home Secretary's new immigration crackdown.
Sources close to Ms. Mahmood allege that Mr. Tapp "briefed them as his own to try to win a job in (Andy Burnham’s) new administration," using ideas the Home Secretary was considering. Ms. Mahmood believes Mr. Tapp's actions violate the collective responsibility principle of the Ministerial Code.
While the Home Office initially indicated to reporters that Mr. Tapp "is expected to be sacked for breaching the Ministerial Code," Downing Street stated that the minister "remains in post." Mr. Tapp has recently been a public supporter of Sir Keir. Reports suggest the Prime Minister is angered by Ms. Mahmood, who had previously advised him to resign following recent local election results. A senior Labour source indicated that Sir Keir had considered dismissing Ms. Mahmood last month but was cautioned against it due to fears it could destabilize the government.
Whitehall sources noted that Mr. Tapp has not yet been referred to Sir Lawrie Magnus, the Prime Minister's adviser on the Ministerial Code, who is responsible for investigating such breaches. Ultimately, Sir Keir holds the authority to rule on violations of the code.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the situation, stating, "The Labour government has descended into chaos and infighting - with Shabana Mahmood’s junior minister openly defying her in a brazen attempt to get a place in Burnham’s cabinet." He added, "There is not a single thought for the national interest here. All these Labour ministers care about is their own personal ambition and jockeying for government jobs. It’s beneath contempt."
Andy Burnham has indicated support for the general direction of Ms. Mahmood's immigration control measures. However, he faces pressure from Labour MPs to soften her proposals, which would extend the required residency period for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to ten years for migrants who arrived after the pandemic.
In his article, Mr. Tapp stated his 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." He proposed exemptions for those on the health and care visa route, which saw over 616,000 visas issued between 2022 and 2024. Home Office and Migration Advisory Committee analysis estimates that approximately 200,000 care workers and their dependents could apply for permanent settlement by 2030 under the current five-year policy. Mr. Tapp did not respond to requests for comment.