The UK could suspend visas from countries that do not “play ball” and agree to returns deals for migrants, the new home secretary has said.

Speaking to broadcasters, Shabana Mahmood repeatedly said that her “top priority” is to “secure our borders”, and called on countries to take back their citizens if they have no right to be in the UK.

The government is under vast pressure to stop small boats crossing the English Channel – over 30,000 people have arrived so far this year, including over 1,000 people on Saturday alone.

Politics latest: Home secretary rules out standing for deputy Labour leader

The new home secretary is hosting her counterparts from fellow members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance – which includes the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand – to discuss “what more we can do to work together to make sure that our borders are secure and that all citizens feel safe”.

Speaking to broadcasters during the summit, Ms Mahmood said: “For countries that do not play ball, we’ve been talking about how we can take much more co-ordinated action between the Five Eyes countries.

“For us, that means including possibly the cutting of visas in the future, just to say, you know, we do expect countries to play ball, play by the rules, and if one of your citizens has no right to be in our country, you do need to take them back.”

She repeatedly vowed to do “whatever it takes” to stop small boat crossings, and she rejected the suggestion that she is emulating policies already proposed by other parties, saying: “This is a Labour government with Labour policy and Labour proposals.

“We’ve been looking at this for some time. It’s been discussed already across the government, and I’m very clear that there has to be a strong approach to maintaining our border, and that does mean saying to countries who do not take their citizens back that we’re not simply going to allow our laws to remain unenforced.”

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But shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “All we get from Labour are tough words. I urged them to immediately use the powers which the last government created some months ago, but nothing has happened. We should also cut overseas aid to countries not taking back their own nationals.

“This Labour government is too weak to take the steps necessary to protect our borders, and I see no sign of that changing any time soon.”

Ms Mahmood also suggested that the government could roll out digital ID as part of measures to prevent illegal working and reduce the “pull factors” that draw migrants to the UK.

While she has long been personally in favour of them, she said the government current position is to “look at” them, and she will be “discussing” the possibility of rolling them out with government colleagues.

Balance between human rights and securing borders

The home secretary also reiterated that the UK will not be leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – as Reform UK and some in the Tory party have called for – because that would have “other consequences that we think are not in our national interest”.

“We absolutely see the case for reform primarily in our domestic, legal framework, tightening up the rules,” she said.

“In the end, this is about how you strike the balance between human rights on the one hand, and securing our borders. I do think that that balance isn’t in the right place at the moment. That’s why we will come forward with changes to our domestic legislation and the guidance in terms of how we apply some of the convention rights legally here at home.”

She added that she will continue work she started in her previous post of justice secretary to reform the convention and ensure it is “fit for purpose in the modern era”.

Ms Mahmood’s comments come on her third day in her new role of home secretary, which she was given in a wide-ranging cabinet and ministerial reshuffle, triggered by the resignation of Angela Rayner as housing secretary and deputy prime minister on Friday, after admitting to underpaying stamp duty on a new property.

There was a clear out of the ministerial team in the Home Office, with new ministers brought in as the government seeks to get a grip on small boat crossings and close asylum hotels amid protests.

Dover MP Mike Tapp – a strong proponent of taking tough measures to break up criminal gangs and stop boats landing on British shores – is one of those MPs who has been given his first ministerial role in the Home Office.

While new department cars rock up at houses today to pick up new ministers giddy to get into government, other Labour MPs will have their minds elsewhere as another big race for a big role in the Labour Party gets under way.

After Angela Rayner’s sudden departure from the government for failing to pay enough stamp duty, she now leaves a hole at the top of the party as deputy leader – an elected position by the membership which means a full leadership contest will have to begin, and fast.

Politics latest: Home secretary rules out standing for deputy leader

Candidates will probably have to decide today whether they are going to put their names in the mix.

So, who could throw their hat into the ring?

David Lammy – the ‘makes sense’ candidate

This would be a neat little way to solve the problem for the government and an attempt to try to kick it back to the status quo.

Sir Keir Starmer appointed the former foreign secretary as deputy prime minister in the government during his reshuffle at the weekend, and if he won, he would effectively occupy the same role Ms Rayner had, being both the PM’s elected deputy, as well as the members’ choice.

He is London-born to Guyanese parents in Tottenham, where he is still an MP. He went on to be the first black Briton to attend Harvard Law School, and in a Tony Blair government he was seen as a rising star when he became a junior minister.

From the backbenches, he then became outspoken on issues around race and social justice, but since returning to the front bench, has softened his language around Trump, and he apologised for nominating Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader back in 2015. In 2016, he was commissioned to lead a review into racial disparities in the justice system.

Dame Emily Thornberry

The Foreign Affairs Committee chair has lived many lives. Born to an academic and teacher, she moved into a council house at seven years old when her parents divorced.

She later became a lawyer specialising in human rights law, and became an MP in 2005 – elected initially from an all-women shortlist. That might be helpful, as inside the Labour Party, it’s widely thought that Ms Rayner’s replacement should be a woman.

While she’s had many roles in opposition – shadow energy minister, shadow attorney general, shadow defence secretary, and shadow foreign secretary – she is probably most known for a controversial tweet. Whilst serving in Ed Miliband’s shadow cabinet, she was forced to resign in 2014 following a picture she posted of an England flag while campaigning in the Rochester and Stroud by-election.

Richard Burgon – the left candidate

With Sir Keir faring badly in the polls, some in the party think this member-led vote could be a way to show their discontent with the prime minister and his government by selecting a staunchly left-wing candidate. Richard Burgon has already been making noises about a potential bid, tweeting how he sees the role of deputy playing out.

The Leeds MP has been a constant pain for the government. A firm left-wing candidate, he has been vocal over Gaza, the winter fuel U-turn, the government’s welfare bill, and he temporarily lost the Labour whip after voting against the government over the two-child benefit cap.

His appointment would be a coup for the left, who have been crushed by Sir Keir since he came to power in 2020. But remember – Rayner’s power came from the fact that she wasn’t just deputy leader, but also deputy prime minister, and had a long-established line into No 10, meaning she had genuine influence.

If the winner is not from the leader’s faction of the party, then the new deputy could be sidelined again.

Who else could throw their hat in the ring?

Other names being touted (some without their knowledge) are former development minister Anneliese Dodds, Dawn Butler, and Miatta Fahnbulleh.

Ms Dodds has bolstered her integrity credentials inside the party since resigning over principles and not in disgrace after the international aid budget was cut. She also has a forensic knowledge of the internal workings of the Labour Party and, as a former women and equalities minister, has broad appeal within the party.

Dawn Butler has previously expressed an interest in replacing Sadiq Khan as London mayor, but she’s already tweeted today about how she could pivot to other positions – so one to watch.

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The 2024 intake is also a large and unpredictable group. They’ve flexed their muscles before over the welfare rebellion, proving not only their ambitions, but their soft left leaning credentials too, even surprising the prime minister. Could they galvanise and organise a candidate between themselves in the time to nominate?

The deputy position is an elected position that will eventually go out to the wide membership, but MPs need to first get 80 nominations from their own MPs.

At midday today, the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will have a full meeting to agree a timetable and code of conduct for a deputy leadership contest. And because of the London Tube strikes, it will be a digital meeting.

So expect lots of organised high-speed dating-style coffees in Portcullis House, and hushed conversations in corridors today – or more likely the unending WhatsApp groups with disappearing messages.

The sudden nature of this contest, coupled with the speed at which it has to happen, means really anyone now has a shot.