Labour migrant civil war goes nuclear as minister banned from getting documents
Labour migrant civil war goes nuclear as minister banned from getting documents
The tension in Labour's top ranks just snapped, as a minister was frozen out of meetings and paperwork and suddenly everyone is watching who flinches first.
Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied
Add us as preferred source Comments By Michael Knowles, Home Affairs and Defence Editor, Aaron Newbury, Political Correspondent 11:46, Fri, Jun 26, 2026 Updated: 12:00, Fri, Jun 26, 2026 
Labour’s migration civil war has intensified after Shabana Mahmood banned one of her own ministers from receiving Government documents. The Home Secretary has taken the bizarre step of stopping Immigration Minister Mike Tapp from receiving paperwork or having meetings unless she approves it. It comes after Mr Tapp allegedly threatened to leak “sensitive documents” on policy discussions.
A Government source said: “Mike Tapp wrote a piece in a national newspaper freelancing on policy without the knowledge or agreement of the Home Secretary or her team.
Get the latest politics news - straight from our team in Westminster and more Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
“He took proposals that the Home Secretary was working on, and briefed them as his own.
“In doing so, he has broken collective responsibility and has breached the Ministerial Code. Now is he threatening to leak sensitive documents. The Home Secretary has asked the Prime Minister to sack him.”
- Andy Burnham's secret election plot leaked by top team: 'Destroy the Right!'
- Andy Burnham issued warning over 'cruel' threat to pensioner winter fuel payments
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has refused to sack the mutinous minister who wrote in a national newspaper that care workers should be left out of restrictions to citizenship.
This morning Tapp, the migration minister, came out swinging, vowing "I won't be intimidated", after Ms Mahmood urged Sir Keir to swing the axe and cut him loose.
In a brazen social media broadside, the Dover and Deal MP mocked his accusers, jeering: "It's gone from 'he broke the ministerial code' to 'he stole my idea'."
He insisted the explosive Times article simply spelled out work he'd been grafting on for months, and dared critics to read it.
"I have put my views across on a policy I've been working on for months (I have the receipts)," he wrote. "Give it a read, and let's continue to discuss."
Then came the parting shot: "I won't be intimidated to drop my views. Stay classy!"
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to overhaul settlement rules after 616,000 people arrived in the UK on health and care visas.
Roughly half are believed to be family members.
Ms Mahmood has previously warned of “dodgy providers” hoodwinking migrants into moving to the UK, only for no job to exist.
And the Home Office is trying to make it far more difficult for migrants to get indefinite leave to remain.
Under Labour’s plans, migrants will be told to wait at least 10 years before they can apply for settlement rights.
Foreign nationals who arrived in the so-called ‘Boris Wave’ face a 10 to 15-year wait to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
And migrants could be barred from claiming benefits unless they become British citizens.
Arrivals applying for indefinite leave to remain after 10 years must have no criminal record, speak English to A-level standards and have no debt, under Labour’s new proposals.
But she is under intense pressure to introduce transitional controls, to avoid accusations of unfairness from those who arrived at the turn of the decade.
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.'
