The key facts
- The government proposes extending the settlement period from 5 to 10 years, and up to 20 years for refugees
- Fahnbulle dodged a direct answer in a Sky News interview and later explained it as a joke
- A number of Labour MPs and unions are calling for the reform to be softened; Angela Rayner previously criticised the proposals
Fahnbulle confirms support for reforms
UK Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulle said she fully supports Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and the government's position on migration reform. The statement came after her comment to journalists raised questions about her attitude to the cabinet's plans.
Dodging the answer and the joke
On Wednesday, in a Sky News interview, Fahnbulle was asked several times whether she supports the government's plans to extend the period for migrants to obtain indefinite leave to remain, but she did not give a direct answer, noting only that the migration system should be based on principles of compassion and contribution, and that the government is holding a consultation. On Thursday, at a meeting with political journalists, she joked that she had not answered directly because, upon entering politics, she had promised herself to 'never lie'. She later issued a statement calling the remark 'a light self-deprecating joke' that 'did not land as intended', and stressed that people must contribute to the country in order to earn citizenship.
The substance of the reform and divisions in the party
The government proposes extending the period after which most work migrants can apply for indefinite leave to remain from five to ten years; for refugees this period could be 20 years. Settlement gives the right to live, work and study in the UK without restrictions and to claim benefits if eligibility criteria are met. In September, at the Labour Party conference, Mahmood said the government would arrive at a position 'balanced between fairness to those who came legally and fairness to British citizens'. However, a significant number of Labour MPs and unions are calling for the policy to be softened. Earlier, another member of the cabinet, Angela Rayner, criticised the proposals, warning of 'goalposts being shifted years forward' for those who arrived at the start of this decade relying on the existing rules; she later denied there was a split in the government's leadership. Downing Street stresses that Mahmood is studying the responses to the consultation before finally shaping the reforms.
Image source, PA Media Miatta Fahnbulleh initially did not explicitly back the government's proposals
