Minister’s Access Restricted Following Unauthorized Article
The migration minister, Mike Tapp, will be denied access to sensitive documents and meetings without the home secretary's approval, as Shabana Mahmood has called for his dismissal.
Mahmood demanded Tapp’s removal after he authored an unauthorized article in The Times advocating for overseas care workers to be exempt from contentious changes to immigration rules.
Downing Street confirmed that Tapp, a loyal supporter of the prime minister, remains a minister while the prime minister seeks advice on whether Tapp breached the ministerial code concerning collective responsibility.
Escalation of Public Dispute
The public dispute between Mahmood, an early cabinet critic urging the prime minister to resign, and Tapp intensified on Friday. Tapp, the MP for Dover, declared he “won’t be intimidated” in response to Mahmood’s call for his sacking.
Reflecting a breakdown in ministerial discipline during the final days of the prime minister’s tenure, Tapp issued a defiant reply on his X account to Mahmood’s dismissal demand.
In a now-deleted tweet responding to a supporter, Tapp stated:
“The attempted intimidation is quite a sight. I’ve seen off the Taliban and taken out terrorists. Country First, always.”
In an initial tweet that remains online, he wrote on Friday:
“Ok, morning all. It’s gone from ‘he broke the ministerial code’ to ‘he stole my idea’. I have put my views across on a policy I’ve been working on for months (I have the receipts) in an Op Ed in the times. Give it a read, and let’s continue to discuss.”
Accompanying a photo of himself, he added:
“I won’t be intimidated to drop my views. Stay classy! Oh and I’m at a wedding in San Francisco, but happy to talk more when I’m back (I promise that’s the Golden Gate Bridge hidden by the fog).”
Concerns Over Sensitive Information and Breach of Protocol
Some government officials interpreted Tapp’s remarks as a threat to disclose sensitive information. A source commented:
“Mike Tapp wrote a piece in a national newspaper freelancing on policy without the knowledge or agreement of the home secretary or her team.
He took proposals that the home secretary was working on, and briefed them as his own.
In doing so, he has broken collective responsibility and has breached the ministerial code. Now he is threatening to leak sensitive documents. The home secretary has asked the prime minister to sack him.”
Pressure is mounting on the prime minister to respond, with another government member describing it as “unwise” for junior ministers to publicly express views in the manner Tapp did.
Prime Minister’s Position and Ongoing Advice
When questioned on Friday about the prime minister’s confidence in Tapp, a spokesperson stated that the prime minister was “taking advice in the usual way.”
It remains the prime minister’s decision whether Tapp’s actions constitute a breach of the ministerial code. The Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team (PET) and Sir Laurie Magnus, the prime minister’s independent adviser on ministerial standards, are among those likely providing counsel.
Context of Internal Labour Party Dynamics
The dispute arises amid senior Labour figures competing for leadership, expected to commence as early as 17 July.
Tapp’s article in The Times expressed his “strong belief” that migrant care workers should not face extended waits to apply for permanent settlement in the UK. Mahmood was reportedly unaware of his authorship, with a source close to her suggesting it was done “to try to win a job in the new administration.”
Tapp is understood to have participated in ministerial discussions regarding exemptions for care workers from proposed changes to indefinite leave to remain. It is alleged he appropriated an idea from these discussions and presented it as his own in the article.
Government Response
Justice minister Jake Richards commented on Times Radio, advising caution:
“Mike’s article in the Times sets out what his views are and some of the issues that he in the Home Office is exploring. It’s not particularly wise in my mind for junior ministers to kind of set that out publicly. We are part of a team, but he has done that and we will deal with that as a government.”
