Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, faces his first big test. His own cabinet is divided over plans to make migrants wait much longer before they can settle in Britain permanently.
The plans were drawn up by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood. They would make many migrants wait up to 15 years before they qualify for permanent settlement. A public consultation on the idea closed in February, but the government has still not made a final decision.
The delay is now causing open tension. The energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, refused 16 times in one session to say whether she backs the proposals. The housing secretary, Angela Rayner, has also raised concerns about them in private.
Mr Burnham inherited the problem from Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned earlier this month. Around 100 Labour MPs had already rebelled against the plans while Sir Keir was in charge.
Reports say the prime minister is thinking about exempting care workers from the long wait. This could calm some of his MPs, who fear the rules would harm hospitals and care homes that rely on foreign staff.
But Mr Burnham is trapped between two risks. If he softens the plans, Nigel Farage and Reform UK will accuse him of being weak on immigration. If he pushes ahead, he could lose the goodwill of the Labour MPs who helped him into Downing Street.
There is also a warning from Sir Keir’s fall. When Sir Keir gave in to rebels over welfare cuts, it made his party demand even more changes. Mr Burnham’s allies say he must not fall into the same trap.
The prime minister has promised a 10-year mission to raise living standards across Britain, along with the biggest transfer of power from London to the regions in modern times. The immigration row is the first sign of how hard that mission will be.
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