Mahmood's reforms could trigger a political hurricane

The home secretary's asylum plans may not command public support (Reuters)

- SIMON WALTERS

On the one hand, it could be abandoned because of the fierce Labour backlash with the home secretary's credibility destroyed by a combination of poor judgement and reckless use of bad language.

Far at the other end of potential scenarios, she may have set the scenes for the biggest reshaping of battle lines in British politics for years and secured her position as a future prime minister.

Everything about Mahmood’s proposals caused a shock. Labour MPs struggled to believe a Labour home secretary could put forward such far-reaching curbs on migrants that they would be endorsed by the likes of Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson.

Just as shocking was defiant Mahmood’s response to critics. When a Lib Dem MP accused her in the Commons of fuelling division her answer drew gasps of astonishment from fellow MPs. Defiantly standing by her proposals she shot back: “Unlike him, unfortunately, I am the one that is regularly called a fucking p*** [Mahmood used the actual words] and told to go back home.”

No cabinet minister in history has used language like that from the parliamentary despatch box. It was soon clear it was not an aberration, prompted by a brief moment of frustration. Challenged in a television interview over Farage’s tongue-in-cheek invitation to join Reform UK, Mahmood said he could “sod off”. She gave the same sweary rebuff when pressed over backing from Tommy Robinson.

The moment Sir Keir Starmer replaced mild-mannered Yvette Cooper at the Home Office with outspoken Mahmood in September it was plain a big change was coming in substance and style.