Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is supporting Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's controversial immigration reforms, according to allies. The move is a blow to Labour figures hoping to soften the changes, which include ending permanent refugee status and extending the time to settled status from five to ten years.
Burnham, who faces a tough by-election in Makerfield against Reform UK, is understood to want to reframe the reforms but backs efforts to limit legal and illegal migration. A source close to his campaign said: 'For Andy, migration is a moral issue... showing people who’ve lost faith in politics that we do have control and we can do good.'
The home secretary's package has drawn criticism from some senior Labour MPs, who have labelled it un-British and reminiscent of Trump-era policies. Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner called the retrospective changes to indefinite leave to remain 'un-British', while MP Sarah Owen compared the deportation of children to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.
Despite internal opposition, Burnham's allies appear comfortable with his stance. His campaign team announced that MPs Anneliese Midgley and Louise Haigh would run his by-election effort. Polling suggests Labour members are divided, with over half supporting the reforms.
The Conservatives have also fielded a candidate, Michael Winstanley, despite calls from some Tories to give Reform a free run. Burnham has previously backed away from supporting EU rejoining, and many in Labour are pushing him to clarify his migration position amid the scale of Mahmood's changes.
