Starmer rejects Home Secretary's demand to sack immigration minister after newspaper row

Sir Keir Starmer has declined Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's demand to sack the immigration minister Mike Tapp, after a row erupted over an unauthorised newspaper column. The dispute, which has pitted Downing Street against the Home Office, began when Tapp used an article in The Times to argue that foreign care workers should be exempt from Mahmood's planned changes to visa rules. In the piece, Tapp wrote: “It is my strong belief that those who have come to the United Kingdom on care worker visas who have played by the rules and have genuinely contributed to our care system should not be required to wait longer to apply for settlement. That is the issue I am working hard to address.” But the article, published on Thursday evening, was written without clearance from Mahmood's office. A Home Office source told the BBC that Mahmood believed the article constituted “freelancing on policy” and was a breach of both collective responsibility and the Ministerial Code. The source added: “Mike Tapp is expected to be sacked. He has taken possible ideas that the home secretary and her team were working on, and briefed them as his own to try to win a job in the new administration.” However, Downing Street pushed back. A spokesperson said: “It is not for any individual secretary of state to determine whether the Ministerial Code has been followed, it is a matter for the prime minister alone.” The spokesperson also confirmed that Tapp had been “reminded of his obligations” under the code, including collective responsibility and procedures relating to the clearance and presentation of government policy. In separate remarks, Downing Street said the prime minister had confidence in both Mahmood and Tapp – who is a loyal ally of Sir Keir. Tapp, meanwhile, took to X to defend himself. “It's gone from 'he broke the ministerial code' to 'he stole my idea',” he posted. “I have put my views across on a policy I've been working on for months (I have the receipts) in an op ed in The Times. Give it a read, and let's continue to discuss. I won't be intimidated to drop my views. Stay classy!” He later added that he has “a lot of respect for the home secretary and will continue working hard for our country”. The row has laid bare tensions inside the government over immigration policy, with the prime minister now having to manage a public rift between his home secretary and a minister he appointed.