Angela Rayner criticises worker visa plans on eve of Labour conference

Key Points:

• Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has criticized Labour's proposed visa rule changes, which would extend the wait for foreign workers to gain permanent residency in the UK from five to ten years, and up to fifteen years for health and social care workers.
• Rayner described the proposals as unfair and disruptive, particularly for migrants who moved to the UK expecting to qualify for residency under current rules, highlighting concerns about retrospective changes.
• The criticism from Rayner, a serving cabinet minister, signals internal party tensions ahead of Labour's annual conference, with other Labour MPs and trade unions also opposing the retrospective elements of the visa proposals.
• Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy defended the government's broader immigration approach but indicated the government might reconsider applying the new residency rules retrospectively to migrants already in the UK.
• The debate underscores a division within Labour and between Labour and Conservative parties over immigration policy, with potential political implications depending on how the government finalizes the visa rule changes.