Angela Rayner has launched a stinging attack on Sir Keir Starmer's immigration policy, branding the government's plan to extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five to 10 years as 'un-British'. In a speech to the campaign group Mainstream, the former deputy prime minister warned that Labour's very survival is at stake and that the party is 'running out of time' to deliver change.
Rayner told the audience in London that the government 'cannot just go through the motions in the face of decline' and must show it can deliver the transformation the public needs. She said: 'The change that people wanted so desperately needs to be seen, it needs to be felt. And we have to show that it is a Labour government that will deliver it.'
On immigration, Rayner argued that moving the goalposts on settlement rights undermines 'fair play' and is contrary to British values. She called for 'sustainable economic migration rules' that provide 'stability and a fair pathway forward' for those who have built lawful lives in the UK. Her comments put her at odds with the government's key proposal to increase the residency requirement for permanent residence.
The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne also condemned Reform UK and other opposition parties for pitting 'people against one another for political gain' and stoking 'fear through blame'. She accused them of twisting British flags 'into symbols of division' and having 'no answers' on the economy.
Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister and housing secretary last September. Her intervention comes amid speculation she could be positioning herself to replace Starmer as Labour leader, after a website purporting to launch a leadership campaign was briefly published in January.
