Starmer is facing another revolt – this time over immigration

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is grappling with fresh internal dissent in his Labour Party, as more than 100 MPs have signed a private letter pressing the government to reconsider sweeping changes to the UK’s immigration rules, Bloomberg reports.

The letter objects to proposals that would tighten pathways to long-term residency and citizenship for lower-paid migrants while streamlining access for those in high-salary positions, part of Starmer’s drive to demonstrate control over migration amid persistent public anxiety over high net inflows in recent years.

The scale of the opposition, over 100 signatories out of Labour’s roughly 400 MPs, highlights deepening fractures within the party.

Previous backbench rebellions have targeted welfare cuts, asylum policies, and earlier migration measures – including plans to double the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to ten years, sometimes applied retrospectively, which drew criticism from dozens of MPs and unions like Unison as “deeply unfair” in February.

Starmer’s government has framed the current package as essential to restoring “trust” in the immigration system, countering the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which has capitalized on voter frustration with border control and net migration levels that once neared record highs post-pandemic.

Mahmood has positioned the changes as striking a middle path, neither as permissive as the Greens nor as extreme as Reform, while insisting Labour values remain “at the heart” of the agenda.

Yet critics within the party argue the tilt toward high earners risks exacerbating inequality and alienating core supporters who favor more compassionate approaches to low-wage workers, care sector staff, and family migration routes.

With Reform polling strongly and by-elections exposing vulnerabilities, the prime minister can ill afford prolonged disunity. This immigration flashpoint joins a string of challenges – from economic headwinds to regional nationalist pressures – testing whether Starmer can maintain discipline in a party long divided on how tough to get on borders.

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