Burnham to back Shabana Mahmood's immigration changes, allies say

Andy Burnham supports Shabana Mahmood’s controversial immigration changes and wants to reframe them without diluting the government’s migration curbs. The measures include ending the right to permanent refugee status and limiting both legal and illegal migration, which some senior Labour MPs have criticized as un-British and similar to Trump-era approaches. Burnham’s allies say he views migration as a moral issue and believes voters need to trust that politicians can control borders. He is Labour’s candidate for the Makerfield byelection and faces a difficult contest against Reform UK, which has surged locally and has attacked him as “open-borders.” Supporters say he must show decisive leadership, restore border control, and promote a firm but fair migration system.

"Andy Burnham is backing Shabana Mahmood's controversial changes to the immigration system, his allies have said, in a blow to those in Labour who hope to soften them. The Greater Manchester mayor is understood to be keen to reframe the changes but supportive of the home secretary's attempts to limit legal and illegal migration, which have been criticised by some senior Labour MPs as un-British and mimicking Trump. Burnham faces a tough fight to return to Westminster against Reform UK, which has already called him open-borders Andy."

"Those close to his campaign say he will not seek to dilute the government's curbs on migration, which include ending the right to permanent refugee status. For Andy, migration is a moral issue as much as anything, showing people who've lost faith in politics that we do have control and we can do good, one source said. We need to tell a positive story about the contribution of migration to our country, but we cannot do that unless people trust that the people they vote for have control over our borders."

"Burnham was confirmed as Labour's candidate for the Makerfield byelection earlier this week, and is widely expected to seek to run for the party leadership if he wins the seat, either by challenging Keir Starmer or persuading him to step down. But Labour MPs who have canvassed in the constituency say it will be a very difficult fight in a seat where Reform's support surged at the local elections. Andy is fighting the most important by election in half a century in the Labour-held seat with the largest Reform vote in the country, a source close to the campaign said."

"Immigration is the second most important issue there. He must show decisive leadership on this and reframe but back the reforms to restore control over our borders and create a firm but fair migration system. Spokespeople for Burnham and Mahmood declined to comment."

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