Changing visa rules for care workers is wrong, says Rayner

Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said changing visa rules for migrants already surviving successful the UK would beryllium "the incorrect happening to do", repeating her disapproval of immoderate of the Labour government's migration policies.

Rayner told the BBC it would beryllium "un-British" to marque attraction unit already successful the UK hold for up to 15 years - alternatively than the existent 5 - earlier being allowed to settee permanently.

She said controlling the borders was "completely different" to taking "retrospective enactment connected radical who person made a beingness here".

The UK authorities has consulted connected migration regularisation changes and a determination connected the imperishable residency of migrant workers already surviving successful the UK is yet to beryllium made.

Speaking astatine a rally organised by the nationalist work national Unison connected Wednesday, Rayner said determination should beryllium nary retrospective regularisation changes to colony for attraction workers "who travel the rules and lend to our society".

"Care workers helped america done the darkest days of the pandemic," Rayner said. "Care is simply a strategy we whitethorn each need, and trust upon.

"So I for 1 won't remainder until each those who springiness and person attraction bash truthful with the dignity and respect they deserve."

At the time, Greater Manchester politician Andy Burnham - who is Labour's campaigner successful the Makerfield by-election - said helium understood wherever Rayner was "coming from" and that the enactment "would bash good to perceive to what Angela has to say".

But astatine the commencement of the Makerfield by-election campaign, Burnham said helium agreed with the "broad thrust" of the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's approach.

Settlement, besides known arsenic indefinite permission to remain, gives a idiosyncratic the close to live, enactment and survey successful the UK for arsenic agelong arsenic they similar and use for benefits if they are eligible.

Ministers privation to treble the clip it takes for astir migrants to suffice for imperishable residence from 5 to 10 years.

Under the proposals, radical who arrived connected wellness and societal attraction visas would look a 15-year wait, portion those who relied connected benefits for much than 12 months would person to hold 20 years.

Mahmood has defended the plans, saying the "unprecedented" fig of radical arriving successful the UK demands an reply from the government.

But dozens of Labour MPs person opposed the plans, branding the retrospective attack "un-British" and "moving the goalposts".

Speaking to the BBC, Rayner said she did not privation to remark connected a hypothetical Labour enactment contest.

But she did person a wide connection for whoever is successful charge.

"We shouldn't rip up the rules halfway done – taking retrospective enactment connected radical who are taxpayers, who are making a contribution, who are portion of our nine looking aft our astir vulnerable," Rayner said.

"It's unfair, it's un-British to bash so."

She added she supported controlling the UK's borders but that this was antithetic from the contented of colony rights for ineligible migrants.

Rayner called connected her ain authorities to rise attraction workers' wages and not to necktie visas for attraction workers to circumstantial employers, which she said encouraged exploitation.

The erstwhile lodging caput has not declared that she would basal successful immoderate Labour enactment contention but she is present utilizing her state to propulsion publically for argumentation changes.