Labour’s Immigration Bill stance shows how much Jeremy Corbyn has changed

A row is brewing in the Commons over Labour’s stance on the Immigration Bill, which has its second reading this evening. The party’s whips told MPs this morning that they would be on a one-line whip for this piece of legislation, with the plan being to abstain on the vote itself. Centrist MPs in particular are angry about this, suggesting the Labour leadership is trying to ‘pander to Ukip’ by not opposing the Bill outright.

Abstaining at Second Reading is normally something a party does to signal that it supports some aspects of a bill, while having concerns about others. It neither wants to oppose or support the legislation outright at this stage. In this instance, the Immigration Bill ends free movement, and brings EU citizens living in the UK under domestic immigration law. Labour is keen not to appear to oppose the results of the EU referendum, including the end of freedom of movement, but it is anxious about the implications for EU citizens’ rights.