Shabana Mahmood is set to water down her flagship settlement reforms after a revolt from Labour MPs and the Cabinet. The Home Secretary is set to care workers like doctors and nurses, letting them “earn” time off their wait for indefinite leave to remain by working in the public sector. Tough talk lasted a year…
Under Mahmood’s original plans, set out last November, most skilled workers would wait ten years for ILR rather than five, while the lowest paid, including care workers, would wait 15. Now a care worker with five years of public sector service can knock five years off that wait. That covers 117,000 low-paid care workers and their 79,000 dependants…
Angela Rayner has claimed victory over Mahmood after she led efforts against the changes. More than 100 Labour backbenchers and the major unions also lined up to oppose them.
Exempting care workers entirely could cost the taxpayer almost £10 billion. ILR unlocks benefits, and every low-paid care worker’s net lifetime fiscal contribution is calculated to be minus £36,000, rising to minus £67,000 for their dependants. Clue: they aren’t care workers for long…
Mahmood will announce her package of reforms tomorrow. Game over for Labour talk on immigration control…
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You’re either in front of Guido, or you are behind…
The LibDems have scrapped their all-staff Christmas party this year, despite holding festive gatherings in both 2024 and 2025. LibDem MP Tom Gordon has emailed his colleagues to suggest 20 of them donate £100 each for a more modest bash. He says £2,000 would cover a room and some drinks tokens, and that the party “doesn’t need to be lavish”. When is a party not a party? When it’s hosted by the LibDems…
According to Politico, a LibDem spokesperson insisted the party “will be celebrating Christmas in style this year, like every other year”… but to avoid the cost of bringing staff into London, teams will have to host smaller, local gatherings instead. That wasn’t very Christmassy, Ed…
Hat-tip: Noah Keate
Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked John Healey: “Just finally, I mean Andy Burnham has been very clear he wants Britain back in the European Union in his lifetime. Do you?”
The Chancellor replied: “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that.”