Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has endorsed Angela Rayner's outspoken criticism of the government's immigration policy, urging the Labour Party to heed her warnings. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Burnham said the party would 'do well to listen' to Rayner, who warned that Labour's survival is at stake under Keir Starmer's leadership.
Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, used a speech at a London event organized by the Labour campaign group Mainstream to attack the government's plan to extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five to ten years, calling it 'un-British'. Burnham echoed her concerns, noting that similar frustrations were evident in the recent Gorton and Denton byelection, where Labour lost a previously safe seat to the Greens.
Burnham, who was blocked from standing in that byelection by the Labour leadership, said Rayner's intervention reflects 'moral questions' about immigration policy. However, he acknowledged that net migration is decreasing and urged the government to communicate its achievements more effectively.
Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds responded to Rayner's remarks by expressing shared 'impatience with the pace of change' within the government. He defended the immigration plans as balancing fairness and border security, but declined to comment on Rayner's leadership potential, stressing there is 'no vacancy' for party leader.
