Angela Rayner's demand for the Government to scrap tougher immigration rules could lead to the resignation of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, it has been claimed. Both the Home Office and No10 denied that Ms Mahmood had warned Sir Keir Starmer last week that she would quit if her reforms were watered down. Ms Mahmood has staked her political reputation on toughening immigration rules in the face of opposition from both within her own party and from liberal critics. Labour MPs in the party's Northern heartlands insist that more Labour MPs back Ms Mahmood on the issue than Ms Rayner. Speaking about Mr McSweeney's departure, one Ms Mahmood supporter said: 'She was the centrepiece of the McSweeney project.

Source: Daily Mail March 22, 2026 13:37 UTC