UK politics news today: new migrant settlement rules, PM's Commonwealth debt plan, NHS scans
By the Population Decides team. Every story summarised from several outlets, with links to the originals.
Good morning. It is Tuesday 3 November 2026. Most migrants will now have to wait 10 years before they can settle in the UK, the Prime Minister takes a plan on debt to Commonwealth leaders, and the NHS says it now does a million more scans a year. Here is what happened and what it means for you.
Most migrants will now wait 10 years to settle in the UK, but care workers are spared
Most migrants will have to wait 10 years instead of 5 before they can settle permanently in the UK, after the Home Secretary set out her final rules to MPs on Monday.
Settling permanently is called indefinite leave to remain. Under the new system, the highest earners, on more than about £125,000 a year, can settle after 3 years. People earning more than £50,271, and some public service workers such as doctors, nurses and teachers, can settle after 5 years. Anyone who breaks immigration rules will wait at least 20 years. Everyone must have a clean criminal record, a high level of English, no debts to the taxpayer and a record of paying National Insurance. The rules start to change from December and will be brought in during 2027.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood dropped her plan to make care workers wait 15 years. Care workers who arrived before May 2025, kept to their visa rules and earned at least £25,000 a year keep a 5 year route. Refugees who came through approved schemes can settle after 5 years. Other refugees wait 20 years, or 10 if they work or study, and people who arrived by small boat face an extra 10 years, up to 30 in total. The government says over 500,000 people will now wait longer than 5 years.
The Home Secretary said settlement "must be earned", and Prime Minister Andy Burnham gave her his full support. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called the care worker change a U-turn and said it would cost taxpayers £10 billion. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the government was starting to give way. The union Unite welcomed the care worker decision. Some Labour MPs, including Diane Abbott, say changing the rules for people already living here is unfair. Read our guide to small boats and migration, see where your MP stands and make the call yourself in the game.
Explain it like I'm 15
If you move to the UK to work, you will usually have to wait 10 years before you can stay for good, unless you earn a lot or do certain public jobs. Care workers already here were let off the longer wait.
The People's Verdict: Should the longer wait to settle apply to migrants who are already living in the UK?
Prime Minister to set out a debt plan for Commonwealth countries as slavery apology talks begin
Prime Minister Andy Burnham will today set out a plan to help Commonwealth countries that are struggling to repay their debts, at a summit of Commonwealth leaders in the Caribbean.
Many poorer countries borrowed money, and rising interest rates around the world have made their repayments harder. The Prime Minister wants a "debt reset", with lenders beyond the G7 group of rich countries, and private companies, helping out. He also wants poorer countries to get longer to repay, at better interest rates. Downing Street says the UK will give £40 million over three years for things like green energy in the Caribbean, and will set up two UK-led groups on trade and on critical minerals, the raw materials used in batteries and electronics.
Over the coming days the Prime Minister will also begin talks on a formal apology for Britain's role in the slave trade. He has ruled out reparations, which means payments to make up for past wrongs. At the last summit in 2024, all 56 Commonwealth countries signed a statement backing talks on what they called reparatory justice. The King, who is at the summit, is not expected to apologise.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says an apology would open the door to demands for money and calls the debate a distraction. The Prime Minister says it has not made things harder for the King and that the UK is listening.
Explain it like I'm 15
The UK wants to help poorer Commonwealth countries cope with big debts and is talking about saying sorry for the slave trade. It says it will not pay compensation.
The People's Verdict: Should the UK make a formal apology for its role in the slave trade?
NHS says new scanners mean a million more scans a year to catch cancer sooner
The NHS in England has added 125 CT and MRI scanners since March 2024, giving around one million extra scans a year, the government said this morning.
CT and MRI scanners take detailed pictures of the inside of the body and help doctors spot cancer and other illnesses early. Of the new machines, 107 went into community diagnostic centres, which are local testing hubs away from busy hospitals. Those centres did nearly 2.2 million scans in the year to March 2026. Software that uses AI to speed up scans is now on 54% of suitable MRI machines, and services using it do 14% more scans on average.
The government says the waiting list for planned treatment has fallen by over 250,000 since July 2024. Health Minister Karin Smyth said the aim is getting people the right diagnosis and treatment sooner. The Royal College of Radiologists, which represents scan doctors, welcomed the news but warned that demand for scans keeps rising and raised concerns about staffing. See how health spending fits into the bigger picture in our Budget key points.
Explain it like I'm 15
There are more scanning machines in the NHS, so more people can get checked quickly. Finding cancer early makes it much easier to treat.
Former army chiefs say Britain is not ready for war as defence spending row goes on
Former heads of the army say Britain is not prepared for war and have accused the government of putting off hard choices on defence spending until next year.
In last week's Budget, Chancellor John Healey filled a £4.7 billion gap in the plan for defence. Defence spending is due to reach 2.7% of GDP, which means the size of the whole economy, by 2027, and 3% by 2030. That is a step towards the NATO target of 3.5% by 2035. Where the extra money will come from will be decided in a spending review expected next autumn.
Lord Dannatt, who led the army from 2006 to 2009, accused the government of "creative accounting". The chair of the Commons Defence Committee said key decisions had been delayed and that waiting has a cost. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the government is doing as much as it can, as fast as it can, and that other areas of spending could be squeezed to pay for defence. See the trade offs for yourself in the People's Budget.
Explain it like I'm 15
The government plans to spend more on the armed forces over the next few years. Some former generals say it is too slow, while the government says it is going as fast as money allows.
The People's Verdict: How quickly should the UK raise defence spending?
MPs finish debating the Budget before a short break from Parliament
MPs finish their first debate on last week's Budget today, and Treasury ministers answer questions in the Commons, before Parliament takes a short break.
The Budget is the Chancellor's yearly plan for taxes and spending. Measures announced last week include keeping the 5p cut in fuel duty, the tax on petrol and diesel, no VAT on household electricity until July 2027, the minimum wage for over 21s rising to £13.21 an hour, and removing import taxes on more than 100 food products.
On Wednesday there are Prime Minister's Questions at noon, then MPs consider the final stages of the Sporting Events Bill. It sets common rules for big events such as the Euro 2028 football tournament and lets ministers give money to support them. The Commons then breaks for a recess, and MPs return on 10 November. Check how the Budget affects you with our Budget calculator and find out if you are better off.
Explain it like I'm 15
MPs are wrapping up their debate on the government's tax and spending plan, which includes cheaper electricity bills and a higher minimum wage. Then they take a week off from the Commons.
The head of the Greater Manchester Police Federation says officers are having rest days cancelled to protect Number 10 North, the Prime Minister's Manchester office. The government says police funding is at a record £18.5 billion this year, with £33.3 million more for Greater Manchester Police.
Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, in his first big speech since leaving Downing Street, said the US pulling back from paying for Europe's defence is a lasting change, not just a result of President Trump.