The extraordinary standoff between Shabana Mahmood and Keir Starmer has intensified after Downing Street refused to immediately sack Mike Tapp, testing the prime minister's authority which has been massively drained since his resignation announcement on Monday.
Background of the Dispute
Tapp wrote an article for the Times stating it was his “strong belief” that migrant care workers should not have to wait longer to apply for permanent settlement in the UK. Mahmood was unaware he had written the article, which a source close to her insisted was written “to try to win a job in the new administration”.
Allegations of Breach
It is understood Tapp was involved in ministerial discussions about exempting care workers from proposed reforms to “indefinite leave to remain”. It is alleged Tapp took an idea proposed in those discussions and attempted to pass it off as his own in the Times article. The ministerial code states that ministers must be able to express views frankly in private while maintaining a united front once decisions are reached.
Mahmood's Demand
A source close to Mahmood said: “Mike Tapp is expected to be sacked for breaching the ministerial code. 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.”
Political Context
The row comes as senior Labour figures tussle for leading roles in Andy Burnham’s administration, which is expected to take power in No 10 as early as 17 July. Starmer's resignation has paved the way for the former Greater Manchester mayor to likely replace him as Labour leader and prime minister.
