Key events14m agoMinister not 'wise' to write unauthorised article about home secretary's immigration reforms - whip46m agoHome Office planning to use more military bases to house asylum seekersMy colleagues Rajeev Syal and Pippa Crerar have some more detail in this story on the extraordinary standoff between Shabana Mahmood and Keir Starmer after Downing Street refused to immediately sack Mike Tapp.It is being seen as a test of Starmer’s authority which has been massively drained since he announced his resignation on Monday, paving the way for the former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to likely replace him as Labour leader and prime minister.
double quotation markThe row comes as senior Labour figures tussle for leading roles in Andy Burnham’s administration, which is expected to take power in No 10 as early as 17 July.
Tapp wrote in an article for the Times it was his “strong belief” that migrant care workers should not have to wait longer to apply for permanent settlement in the UK.
Mahmood was unaware he had written the article, which a source close to her insisted was written “to try to win a job in the new administration”.
It is understood Tapp was involved in ministerial discussions about exempting care workers from the proposed reforms to “indefinite leave to remain”. It is alleged Tapp took an idea proposed in those discussions and attempted to pass it off as his own in the Times article.
