Minister rejects Rayner's claim Home Office plan to make migrants wait longer for settled status 'un-British'
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office minister, stated in interviews this morning that government members share Angela Rayner’s desire to implement change swiftly.
However, he rejected her criticism of Shabana Mahmood’s proposal to extend the waiting period for most immigrants before applying for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). Rayner described the plan as “un-British” because it affects individuals already residing in the UK, which she argued was unfair. Thomas-Symonds disagreed with this assessment.
No I don’t think that the changes Shabana Mahmood has announced are un-British.
I think what they are doing is trying to strike fairness and a balance between, in the first instance, control of our borders, and also people who are here still having the opportunity then to gain a settled status, but also being fair to everybody.
Zack Polanski gives speech on economy
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, is scheduled to deliver a speech on the economy. This will be his first major address on the topic since assuming leadership, and he will speak at the New Economics Foundation thinktank.
Peter Walker has provided a preview of this event.
Tories defend shadow minister Nick Timothy after comments on Muslim mass prayer in London
A shadow cabinet member has defended Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, following criticism of his remarks about a mass Muslim prayer event in Trafalgar Square.
Timothy posted on social media yesterday expressing objection to Muslims conducting mass prayer in Trafalgar Square, stating: “Mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination.”
Too many are too polite to say this.But mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination.The adhan - which declares there is no god but allah and Muhammad is his messenger - is, when called in a public place, a declaration of domination.Perform these rituals in… pic.twitter.com/PIfJAgb7Zk
Labour MP Sarah Owen responded on social media:
Wait until he sees Trafalgar Square during Christmas, Hanukkah, Holi, Lunar New Year, PRIDE, Vaisakhi and the passion of Jesus.
Trafalgar Square really is for everyone.
Nick Timothy either knows that and is deliberately stirring up hatred or he isn’t that bright.
Either way, he should do better.
Dominic Grieve, former Tory attorney general who left the party over Brexit, also commented:
This is a very odd post from a Conservative who says he believes in freedom of expression under law and is a principal spokesman of the Free Speech Union.
I appreciate that he does not like Islam and there is no reason why he should. As a Christian it is not my faith.
But the use of Trafalgar Square (with permission) for religious events Christian and other goes back a long way. There have been prayers and hymns, chants and religious events performed there in the past. If such an event ‘shouldn’t happen again’ it raises the question of whether this is to apply to all religious events or just to Muslim ones. If to all, then we are moving like France to imposing secularism as a norm and it is contrary to our national tradition and does not seem to have helped develop social cohesion there. If just to Muslims then it is an act of discrimination against them without any lawful basis. To achieve it you would have to enact discriminatory legislation targeted at Muslims. Is this what Nick Timothy is advocating?
On Bluesky, Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, a thinktank focusing on race and cohesion, noted the presence of other faith events in Trafalgar Square that did not appear to provoke Timothy’s objection, as they did not involve Muslims. Katwala questioned:
If the Shadow Lord Chancellor says “it should not happen again”, is it now Conservative policy to ban an Iftar in a public square in London, or elsewhere?
- Or to make it an offence to pray in public? or to limit the number doing so, for a specific faith, or several/all]?
On this morning, Richard Holden, the shadow transport secretary, agreed that Trafalgar Square belongs to everyone but stated that if religious groups use it “to try and dominate,” that is wrong.
He acknowledged a role for religion in public life but said:
But when it is used as a weapon to oppress people, I think that’s wrong.
When asked if mass ritual prayer is always an “act of domination,” Holden replied:
It can be, in certain circumstances … for all sorts of different groups.
Angela Rayner’s speech signals leadership ambitions
Angela Rayner’s speech last night followed a Financial Times report that she had reassured City investors that a Labour government would not shift leftward. Both actions are interpreted as signs she may seek Labour leadership in the near future.
The FT story by Ian Smith, Katie Martin, and Jim Pickard stated:
Angela Rayner joined a call with City investors in which the bookies’ favourite to replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister offered reassurance that Labour would not lurch to the left.
Investors on the call, hosted by French bank BNP Paribas this month, said the former deputy prime minister pledged the party would stick to its manifesto and not resort to a borrowing blitz to fund greater spending.
A Rayner ally told the FT that she has engaged with the business community for years as a senior MP.
Aubrey Allegretti from The Times quoted an unnamed Labour MP critical of Rayner’s speech:
Rayner’s remarks already causing fury…
A senior Labour MP texts: “It might help if those vying for [the] leadership at least try to understand the policy they are attacking. There is absolutely no intention to not let people stay, it’s about delaying access to welfare and benefits after unprecedented levels of migration - the public expect their government to run the country in a way that does not put more strain on our services, whilst also remaining compassionate.
It took the Tories 10 or so years to descend into chaos - if egos in the party think they can cause chaos and challenge the leadership after 18 months and not get the blow back they are wrong. Get a grip and deal with your tax.”
Burnham urges Labour to heed Rayner’s warning on urgency for change
Good morning. Keir Starmer has managed the Iran war situation reasonably well, according to Westminster consensus, outperforming Nigel Farage and others who have been inconsistent about their support for Donald Trump. Nonetheless, the overarching view remains that Starmer is unpopular with voters and Labour cannot win the next election under his leadership. While this may be a flawed assessment, it is widely held among Labour MPs, casting doubt on Starmer’s leadership.
Angela Rayner’s speech last night to the soft-left Mainstream group is significant. Though she did not explicitly call for new leadership, her remarks implicitly conveyed that message more directly than previous interventions since resigning as deputy prime minister in September last year.
Nadeem Badshah reported overnight:
It is down to us to rebuild this nation and this party – the question is are we up for this fight? I know we in this room are.
As a party, and as a movement, we cannot hide, we cannot just go through the motions in the face of decline. There’s no safe ground and we’re running out of time.
The change that people wanted so desperately needs to be seen, it needs to be felt. And we have to show that it is a Labour government that will deliver it.
Rayner also criticized the government’s plan to extend the waiting period for migrants to obtain indefinite leave to remain, particularly the application of new rules to those already in the queue. She said:
We cannot talk about earning a settlement if we keep moving the goalposts. Because moving the goalposts undermines our sense of fair play. It’s un-British.
Let us be a country that has sustainable economic migration rules, but one that upholds the British values we want all who live here to respect. Not special treatment. But the stability and a fair pathway forward after the sacrifices many have made to build a lawful life in the UK.
If we suddenly change that, it pulls the rug from under those that have planned their lives and commitments, and they’re contributing to our economy and to our society.
That would not just be bad policy, but a breach of trust. The people already in the system who made a huge investment now fear for their future. We cannot talk about earning a settlement if we keep moving the goalposts because moving the goalposts undermines a sense of fair play. It’s un-British.
These comments appear intended to undermine a policy unpopular with many Labour MPs.
Mainstream is linked to Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester mayor and, like Rayner, a potential Labour leadership candidate. Burnham appeared on the Today programme this morning, expressing qualified support for Rayner’s remarks without overt disloyalty. He said Labour “would always do well to listen to what Angela has got to say” and added:
We’ve got to, all of us, haven’t we, work together to pull together a plan that turns the country around …
I understand the frustration people feel. We heard that at the by-election, and of course, Angela is reflecting some of that.
But what I do feel that the signs are becoming really clear that there is a higher ambition, particularly for the north of England.
Burnham praised plans for fiscal devolution, calling it “exactly what we want to see.”
Nick Thomas-Symonds has been the government’s spokesperson on broadcast news this morning. Asked about Rayner’s speech, he said he and his colleagues also desire faster change. He told :
I think where I would agree, and I think everybody across government would agree, is sharing an impatience with the pace of change, and that applies to every single one of us.
And I get the sense, I haven’t read the full context of Angela’s remarks, but I get the sense that that frustration is actually what is running through her remarks. It absolutely runs through every government minister as well.
Agenda for the day
10:30am: Zack Polanski delivers his first major speech on the economy as Green party leader. Peter Walker’s preview is available.
Noon: Keir Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at a scheduled event.
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