Burnham Backs Mahmood’s Immigration Changes, Allies Say

Andy Burnham supports Shabana Mahmood’s controversial immigration changes, according to allies, delivering a setback to Labour members seeking to soften the reforms.

The Greater Manchester mayor is keen to reframe the changes but backs the home secretary’s effort to curb legal and illegal migration, which some senior Labour MPs have criticized as un-British and reminiscent of Trump’s policies.

Burnham faces a tough by-election challenge from Reform UK, which has labeled him “open-borders Andy.” However, campaign insiders say he will not water down government curbs, including ending 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.”

Spokespeople for Burnham and Mahmood declined to comment.

Burnham was confirmed as Labour’s candidate for the Makerfield by-election earlier this week and is widely expected to seek the party leadership if he wins, either by challenging Keir Starmer or persuading him to step down.

Labour MPs who have canvassed in the constituency say it will be an uphill fight in a seat where Reform’s support surged in 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.”

The Conservatives announced Wednesday they will field a candidate, Michael Winstanley, despite some prominent Tories urging a free run for Reform to try to defeat Burnham.

With the local campaign just starting, Burnham’s policy positions are under scrutiny from supporters and opponents for clues about his potential government agenda.

He backed away from earlier support for rejoining the EU earlier this week, saying it is not something he wants in the immediate future.

Many Labour figures are pressing Burnham to clarify his stance on migration given the scale of Mahmood’s overhaul.

Mahmood earlier this year unveiled a major package that includes scrapping permanent refugee status, removing government support from asylum seekers deemed not in need or who break the law, and requiring those granted asylum from a now-safe country to leave.

She also promised to double the time for some people to achieve settled status from five to 10 years, a measure officials say will affect many already in the UK. The change is due later this year after consultation on exempted groups.

Mahmood told the Guardian earlier this year that Labour MPs should back her or risk a government led by Nigel Farage deporting refugees “to certain death”.

Despite her pleas, many – including several key Burnham allies – greeted her proposals with outrage.

Sarah Owen, leader of the Tribune group of centre-left Labour MPs, said at the time that deporting children mimicked Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention of minors in the US.

Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, called the changes un-British.

Burnham’s closest allies appear broadly comfortable with his position. In an email to MPs Wednesday, his team announced that two prominent soft-left MPs – his close friend Anneliese Midgley and former transport secretary Louise Haigh, another Tribune leader – will run his campaign in Makerfield.

Despite criticism from prominent MPs, Labour members who would vote in any future leadership election are divided on the issue.

YouGov polling published Wednesday found more than half of party members want the same or more restrictive immigration policies. Only 26% want a more liberal approach, 44% back Mahmood’s changes, and 18% prefer an even tougher stance.

The poll shows roughly half of Labour members believe the party faces a greater risk of losing votes to Reform. Just 15% see losses to the Greens as the bigger issue, and 27% say both pose an equal threat.

Burnham previously said he backs changes to the immigration system and especially efforts to reduce use of asylum hotels.

In an interview with the Guardian’s Politics Weekly podcast last year, he said: “Immigration control has weakened as a result of Brexit. We’ve replaced one form of immigration with a very different form of immigration that is more long-term.”

He has expressed reservations about reassessing asylum seekers’ status if their home countries become safer for return.

Speaking on the Today programme last year, he said Mahmood was “right to grasp this nettle and have root and branch reform of the system. I agree with that.

“I do have a concern about leaving people without the ability to settle, one of the concerns being if there is a need to constantly check up on the status of countries where people have come from, that might limit the ability of the Home Office to deal with the backlog.”