Rebellion in the ruling party: how Britain's immigration reform collapsed

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has retreated from a central part of the immigration reform following a rebellion within the Labour Party. The plan to tighten permanent residency conditions for about 1.9 million foreign nationals was scaled back, and only about half a million will be affected. The Conservative opposition attacked the move as a "surrender to the left."

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was forced to retreat from a central part of the immigration reform she presented, following a political rebellion within the Labour Party. The original plan aimed to dramatically extend the waiting period for migrants to obtain permanent residency, but faced opposition from about a hundred MPs, trade unions, and senior ministers. Under the softened plan, nearly 300,000 foreign workers in the nursing and care sectors will be exempt from the new restrictions. Out of about 1.9 million foreign nationals expected to be eligible for permanent residency by 2030, only about half a million will be required to wait longer. The Conservative opposition harshly attacked the move, claiming the concessions could cost taxpayers around £10 billion. Cooper tried to present the updated plan as an important reform, but officials now claim the original cost estimate is outdated.