Historically, when UK governments have made major changes to immigration policy they have tried to ensure it would not affect people already here. Good that Labour MPs are standing up to plans to retrospectively apply new ILR rules. @tonyvaughanmp.bsky.social made a very fine speech on this.

To be clear, this is entirely motivated by responding to far-right charges that the Johnson governments let in too many non-white people and they should not be allowed to stay. The minister is dressig it up with a welfare argument when a huge number of them work in the welfare state!

Archive link to the story. Obviously huge problems arose eventually with "don't retrospectively apply new rules" when it comes to the Windrush Scandal. But the intention of Parliament was clearly that the 1971 Act would not change the status of people already in the UK. archive.ph/2026.02.03-2...