Shabana Mahmood hits back at claim Labour rebels forced £10billion immigration climbdown

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has hit back at the suggestion she was forced to cave to rebels on the Labour Left following her reforms to indefinite leave to remain. Ms Mahmood, who was accused of watering down her proposals, told GB News that the changes represented a "transformative package" despite concessions made following a consultation process. After being asked if pressure from the Left forced her to scrap plans for care workers to wait for 15 years for permanent residency, Ms Mahmood said: "No, look, I disagree. I think this is a transformative package. "It's a wholesale change for the terms on which people can get settlement in this country." The Home Secretary defended the decision to introduce transitional arrangements for care workers, saying she had recognised the "very unique circumstances" affecting those who came to Britain in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. The original proposals were expected to save taxpayers billions, with the lifetime cost of allowing care workers and their adult dependants to settle under the existing five-year route estimated at £10billion. The consultation process involved 202,000 respondents, with just 18 per cent British citizens. However, Ms Mahmood told GB News: "It was a genuine consultation, and I've recognised the very unique circumstances affecting care workers and the conditions in which they came to this country." Under the revised arrangements, care workers who have met their visa conditions and earned at least £25,000 will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years. Those who have not met the requirements will be given a further five-year visa to work in the care sector before they can apply for settlement. Defending the compromise, Ms Mahmood said: "Those that did what we asked them to do, they can settle at five. "Those who haven't done that get a second chance to do what they first came to do." However, she insisted the wider reforms remained tough, arguing that roughly half a million people would have to wait longer before qualifying for permanent settlement. She said: "Roughly half a million people will now not settle at their initial settlement period. They will wait longer." LATEST DEVELOPMENTS The Home Secretary also argued that the package struck a fair balance between migrants who came to work in Britain and the taxpayers who fund public services. She told GB News: "I think this package represents the fairest resolution between those who came to work in this country and also British citizens and taxpayers who ultimately fund the services we all depend upon." Ms Mahmood had come under pressure from Cabinet colleagues, including Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and Net Zero Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh. Labour MPs continued to pile pressure on Ms Mahmood after she set out her plan in the House of Commons. Diane Abbott, who served as Shadow Home Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, said: "People can come in legally and work legally, and then have their residency rights turned upside down. How can that be fair?" York Central MP Rachael Maskell added: "I will read the detail in the consultation, but I am concerned about retrospective changes because our word should be our bond to people coming here." Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused Ms Mahmood of losing a battle with Labour's Left over the reforms. Speaking at a press conference immediately after her announcement, Mr Farage said: "The Labour Party is at war with itself over Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood losing a fight to the far left of her own party." Mr Farage, who was accompanied by Reform UK's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf, added: "But what about fair play towards the British public? Doesn't that count for anything anymore?" Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also accused Ms Mahmood of surrendering to the Labour Left, claiming she had been forced to give ground to Ms Rayner. He said: "It's clear Shabana Mahmood has been forced to surrender to Angela Rayner and the open-borders Labour left." Mr Philp described the revised arrangements for care workers as an "affront", accusing the Home Secretary of abandoning her original position. The Home Secretary has insisted the wider reforms remain tough, arguing that roughly half a million people will have to wait longer before qualifying for permanent settlement. Ms Mahmood also defended the stricter conditions migrants will have to meet before being granted indefinite leave to remain. She told GB News: "It's right that there are new minimum requirements. No criminality. Any criminal record will bar people from settlement. You have to have no debt, no NHS debt, no litigation debt." The Home Secretary added: "Settlement is the right to live here permanently. It's one of the strongest rights we can give to people." Follow related topics: