Home Office minister Mike Tapp has been "reminded of his obligations under the Ministerial Code" but will remain in his post following a dispute with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood over immigration policy, according to Downing Street.
Mahmood had called for Sir Keir Starmer to dismiss Tapp and restricted his access to sensitive documents after he published an article in The Times suggesting foreign care workers should be exempt from her plans to tighten settlement rules. The Home Secretary's proposals would increase the waiting period for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five years to at least ten, and in many cases, longer.
Tapp, the minister for migration and citizenship, stated in his article that he held a "strong belief" that those already working in the UK care system should not face a prolonged wait for ILR. He indicated he had been working with officials to "develop a better approach than a blanket retrospective extension from five years to 10 years for everyone."
A government source accused Tapp of "freelancing on policy" and of briefing proposals being worked on by the Home Secretary as his own, thereby breaching collective responsibility and the Ministerial Code. The source also claimed Tapp had threatened to "leak sensitive documents."
In response to the controversy, Tapp issued an apology for a "poorly judged" social media post in which he referenced his military service, stating he had "seen off the Taliban and taken out terrorists." He deleted the post, explaining it "could be misinterpreted."
Downing Street stated that it was "not for any individual Secretary of State to determine whether the Ministerial Code has been followed, it is a matter for the Prime Minister alone." A spokesperson for Downing Street added that Tapp had been reminded of his obligations under the Ministerial Code, including collective responsibility and procedures for clearing and presenting government policy.
Mahmood had reportedly banned Tapp from meetings and required specific approval for his participation in departmental business after Prime Minister Starmer declined to dismiss him. She is understood to have accused Tapp of presenting a compromise idea on citizenship rights, under development behind the scenes, as his own in an effort to secure a position under a potential future leader.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp commented that Tapp was "wrong," arguing that individuals allowed into the UK temporarily for work should not be permitted to stay permanently unless in high-wage jobs. He suggested that instead of allowing low-wage migrants to remain indefinitely, the focus should be on reforming welfare to encourage economically inactive adults into work.
Justice minister Jake Richards stated that decisions regarding breaches of the ministerial code were up to the Prime Minister. He described Tapp as a "friend" and a respected individual who had served the country prior to entering Parliament.