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Good morning. British politics in 2026 has to a large extent been preoccupied with foreign affairs, and Donald Trump’s turbocharged neo-imperialism, but domestic problems remain paramount. At the PLP last night, as Pippa Crerar reports, Keir Starmer sought to justify the amount of time he spends on foreign policy by saying it has a direct link to cost of living problems.
And, with immigration and small boats a key issue for voters, the Home Office is today talking up its record on one aspect of this problem.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has released figures which, she says, shows that raids to catch people working in the UK illegally have reached “the highest level in British history”. The PA Media write-up is a tad less hyperbolic, saying the figures are at their highest level “since current records began in 2019”.
PA reports:
Some 12,791 visits took place in 2025, up 57% from 8,122 in the previous year, to businesses such as nail bars, car washes, barbers and takeaway shops.
Ministers are seeking to crack down on illegal working in the UK, as part of efforts to deter those coming to the country illegally.
Meanwhile, arrests were also at a record high of 8,971 last year, up nearly 59% compared to 5,647 in 2024 – the previous highest point in data published by the Home Office.
Of those arrested, 1,087 people have been removed from the UK so far …
The Home Office also said visits were up 77% and arrests were up 83% since Labour came to power.
Some 17,483 visits and 12,322 arrests were recorded between July 2024 and December last year, up from 9,894 and 6,725 respectively across January 2023 to June 2024.
Of the arrests, 1,726 people have been returned so far, up 35% on the 1,283 removed from visits in the previous 18-month period.
In a related move, the Home Office is opening a Secure Borders UK TikTok account designed to discourage people from coming to the UK illegally on small boats. The Sun has got some examples of the video if will feature (mostly people being detained, it appears), and its write-up is negative and sarcastic. The headline, “Fury as ‘pathetic’ PM’s ‘laughable’ brainwave to stop Channel migrant dinghies is revealed to be a new TIKTOK ACCOUNT”, sets the tone. But public opinion does not get turned around overnight, and in Labour circles there may be a tiny bit of cheer this morning from the latest YouGov poll for the Times and Sky News showing Reform UK support at its lowest level since April.
There is plenty more domestic politics to come as the day goes on. Here is the agenda for the day.
8.30am: Wes Streeting, the health secretary, speaks at the Institute for Government’s annual conference. Other speakers during the day include: Louise Casey, chair of the independent commission into adult social case, at 9.40am; Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, and Michael Gove, the former Tory cabinet minister, at 11.45am; Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, at 2.45pm; and Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, at 4.30pm.
9.30am: Keir Starmer chairs cabinet. There is a political cabinet, and a normal cabinet.
9.30am: Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid Cymru leader, holds a press conference in Cardiff
10am: Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, holds a press conference to promote a plan to end 12-hour A&E waits. Later he will visit London Air Ambulance.
11am: Starmer hosts Karol Nawrocki, the Polish president, in No 10.
11.30am: Streeting takes questions in the Commons.
Noon: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
2.20pm: Shona Robison, the Scottish government’s finance secretary, presents her budget to MSPs.
2.30pm: Kirsty Brimelow, chair of the Bar Council, and other senior legal figures give evidence to the Commons justice committee about plans to restric jury trials; at 3.30pm Sarah Sackman, a justice minister, gives evidence.
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