Labour civil war erupts as minister faces sack for 'unauthorised' comments
Labour civil war erupts as minister faces sack for 'unauthorised' immigration comments
Furious row explodes as Shabana Mahmood demands that Sir Keir Starmer take action over controversial article
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Add us as preferred source Comments By Aaron Newbury, Political Correspondent 19:28, Thu, Jun 25, 2026 Updated: 19:43, Thu, Jun 25, 2026 
Labour has erupted into civil war after the Home Secretary reportedly begged Sir Keir Starmer to sack her own immigration minister. Shabana Mahmood announced hardline reforms on immigration to bring down the number of migrants moving to the UK earlier this year.
But now she has been forced to ask Sir Keir, who announced he was quitting his own job earlier this week, to boot out immigration minister Mike Tapp after he penned a Times article asking that foreign care workers be left out of her crackdowns.
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Mr Tapp, whose seat of Dover and Deal serves as one of the major entry points of illegal boat crossings, wrote that it was his "strong belief" that migrants working in the care sector should not have to wait a longer time to bag a British passport.
It is understood that Sir Keir refused to give Mr Tapp the boot, despite the pleas of his Home Secretary.
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It has now emerged in The Times that Ms Mahmood did not know the article had been written, and had not authorised it.
Ministers are expected to stick to collective Cabinet responsibility, meaning they should clear articles and statements with their boss – in this case, the Home Secretary – before going public.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp pounced on the drama telling the Daily Express the spat was proof of more "chaos and infighting" in the floundering Labour Party.
He said Ms Mahmood's junior was "openly defying her in a brazen attempt to get a place in Burnham’s cabinet."
Andy Burnham, who won the Makerfield by-election last week, is widely seen as the frontrunner to replace Sir Keir when he vacates No10.
"There is not a single thought for the national interest here," Mr Philp fumed.
The top Tory warned "all these Labour Ministers care about is their own personal ambition and jockeying for government jobs. It’s beneath contempt."
Labour is already in open civil war after Sir Keir announced on Monday that he was quitting as PM, with Andy Burnham likely to take over.
Ms Mahmood has already demanded that newcomers to the UK wait longer before gaining the right to work, study and permanently claim benefits.
Mr Burnham has previously slammed the decision to apply those changes retrospectively, saying they would leave immigrants "in a sense of limbo and unable to integrate". However, the Daily Express understands that Mr Burnham has yet to make a final decision on the controversial policy.
Earlier this year, more than 100 Labour backbenchers wrote to the Home Secretary urging her to axe plans to apply the changes to migrants already in the country.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
