Boats and the Budget: the battlelines are drawn

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a tough set of measures overhauling immigration policy this week, in a bid to deter illegal boat crossings and tackle the thorny issue of asylum seekers that dominates the news agenda. But how did the announcement go down with a divided Labour party?

And, just days away from the Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves is under huge pressure after a series of U-turns and leaks on taxation policy. 

Host George Parker discusses whether anything can be done to reverse the fortunes of the government with the FT’s deputy opinion editor Miranda Green, political columnist and writer of the Inside Politics newsletter Stephen Bush, and Whitehall correspondent David Sheppard. 

Follow George on Bluesky @georgewparker.bsky.social; Stephen @stephenkb.bsky.social; Miranda @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; David @oilsheppard.bsky.social 

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Want more? Free links:    

Labour needs a way out of the infernal circle of immigration policy 

Why the small boats won’t stop

High earners to be eligible for UK settlement within 3 years of arrival

UK asylum seekers face seizure of jewellery to pay for accommodation

Rachel Reeves’ gambit 

Covid response of ‘toxic’ UK government was ‘too little, too late’, inquiry finds

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Presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth and Clare Williamson. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music by Breen Turner, mix by Odinn Inigbergsson. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa. 

Clips from BBC

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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