Rayner insists 'no split' with Mahmood but called 'un-British' migrant visa crackdown 'moving the goalposts' just hours before

From the Newshound archive · first published 26 September 2026 · last updated 28 September 2026.

Angela Rayner has attempted to douse a Cabinet firestorm on the opening day of Labour's Liverpool conference, insisting she and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood are "united" — hours after branding her migration reforms "un-British" and "very disruptive" to care workers already in the UK. Mahmood's plans would extend the wait for permanent residency from five years to 15 for foreign social care workers who arrived since 2021. Rayner told Sky News that Mahmood is doing a "fantastic job" and declared: "There's no split story there, unfortunately."

One Labour MP reportedly described Rayner's pre-conference intervention as a "drive-by shooting", with a senior party official reportedly calling it "quite mad she's chosen this moment to attack."

Cabinet minister Lisa Nandy publicly backed Mahmood and another MP reportedly suggested Burnham should "remind Rayner of the benefits of keeping her mouth closed."

Former business secretary Peter Kyle then opened a SECOND front, accusing Prime Minister Andy Burnham of failing to act with "more urgency" on growth and prioritising union demands over business.