Andy Burnham is backing a hardline immigration clampdown that has been criticised as 'un-British' by Labour MPs. The Greater Manchester mayor, who is fighting Reform to win the Makerfield by-election, is said to be behind a toughening of rules pushed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. She wants to double the time it will take legal immigrants to qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), from five to 10 years. But in a more controversial move, she is consulting on the change applying retrospectively to migrants already in Britain. It would affect around 2.2 million people who have arrived since 2021 and was criticised by MPs including Angela Rayner.
Burnham's Stance on Migration
A source told the Guardian: '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. 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.' Support for the move might also put Mr Burnham, seen as the left's candidate to replace Sir Keir Starmer, to the right of the prime minister he wants to replace on immigration.
Political Implications
Ms Mahmood wants to double the time it will take legal immigrants to qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), from five to 10 years, applying retrospectively to those already here. The proposal was left out of the King's Speech list of legislation last week, amid suggestions Sir Keir has cooled his support, although allies of Ms Mahmood said it was still going to go ahead. But polls suggest Makerfield, which will choose its new MP on June 18, is a two-way fight with Reform, which has also tried to brand the Labour candidate 'open borders Burnham'. But at the same time, it may make him vulnerable to attacks from the left.
Green Party Response
The Green Party today unveiled its Makerfield candidate, local nurse Chris Kennedy, vowing to fight Reform but also hold Mr Burnham's feet to the fire. Leader Zack Polanski said the 'greatest threat' was Nigel Farage's Reform UK, but added that his party would use the by-election to 'press Andy Burnham on what kind of MP and Prime Minister he would be, given his mixed track record, and interviews this week suggesting he isn't committed to fair voting, public ownership and a genuinely new economic settlement'.
Criticism from Labour MPs
In March, when the plan was first announced, Ms Rayner said it amounted to 'moving the goalposts', saying it 'undermines our sense of fair play. It's un-British'.
