Tensions within the Labour Party over Shabana Mahmood’s immigration plans are continuing to rise. Yesterday, a new front opened when Tony Vaughan, one of the leading rebels against the reforms, was the subject of a hit job in the Sun. The article cast aspersions on his past clients as a barrister and quoted an anonymous Labour MP – described as “supportive of the immigration blitz” – sticking the boot into their colleague.
Labour MPs’ group chats erupted with fury at the colleague who targeted Vaughan anonymously: “foul”, “disgraceful attack”, “disgusting”, “completely appalling”, and “desperate stuff” were among the messages shared by dozens of MPs in the 2024 intake’s group chat yesterday. “This is the work of a coward,” one wrote, as others chimed in to condemn attacks on barristers for their past clients.
Keir Starmer recently signalled to MPs that he is minded to make some exemptions to Mahmood’s current plans, allaying some of his party’s concerns about moving the goalposts for migrants already in the UK. Part of the reason Downing Street was so infuriated by Angela Rayner’s intervention on this issue – when she described Mahmood’s plans as “un-British” – was that they felt this was the direction of travel anyway.
Inside No 10, there is growing awareness of the “asymmetric effect” of their immigration interventions: “you upset liberals more than you win over immigration sceptics”, as one insider puts it. The cabinet was given a presentation a few months ago showing that the salience of immigration had increased rather than decreased – the opposite of what they want. It might not always appear so, but Labour’s approach in government has been to try to handle the issue better while talking about it less. No one wants to fight the next election on immigration. That is why we rarely see Starmer himself leading on the issue publicly: when Mahmood makes an intervention, Starmer is often elsewhere, visiting on the cost of living, breakfast clubs or childcare.
Yet, as Labour’s immigration debate becomes increasingly personal, some in the party worry that they are still talking about the issue too much, particularly ahead of the crucial May elections. Whether sanctioned or not, Mahmood’s supporters appear to disagree. They want to put forward a bold offer on immigration and are willing to defend it. They have sent a clear signal that they will continue to fight for her proposals, including by attacking one of her main critics in the tabloid press – even if it means drawing attention to an issue most in the party are keen to dial down.
This piece first appeared in the Morning Call newsletter; receive it every morning by subscribing on Substack here
[Further reading: Labour’s immigration battle gets heated]
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