Angela Rayner has criticised Shabana Mahmood’s proposal to make it harder for foreign workers to obtain permanent residence in the UK, describing it as unfair to overseas care workers who were invited to support vulnerable people. The policy is facing opposition from Andy Burnham, at least 100 Labour MPs and trade unions, creating potential tensions within the party.

Around 185,000 overseas care workers were recruited between 2022 and 2024, before recruitment from abroad was halted last year as part of efforts to reduce net migration. Burnham has also blamed Brexit for weakened cooperation with European neighbours over Channel crossings, contradicting Mahmood’s earlier view that Brexit was not responsible; Conservative Chris Philp dismissed Burnham’s argument as an attempt to deflect blame.