Andy Burnham just made his biggest mistake yet | Politics | News

Voters have deep concerns about immigration. The feeling that Labor (and the last Conservative Government) had failed to control who comes to our country has helped to increase support for Reform and Nigel Farage. But judging by his long-awaited speech in Manchester, Andy Burnham has nothing to do with it.

There has been much speculation as to who Andy Burnham will appoint as Chancellor when he becomes Prime Minister, and it looks certain that this will happen within a few weeks. He is thought to be considering handing over the role to Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband, which would be an unpopular move. Some Labor MPs fear Mr Miliband’s commitment to “net zero” policies will help explain why Sir Keir Starmer’s government is so unpopular. They also blame Mr Miliband for allowing Jeremy Corbyn to become Labor leader, ushering in what they see as Labour’s darkest period, and they still have not forgiven him.

But there is another job in government that is just as important. This is the duty of the Minister of Internal Affairs.

One of the biggest challenges currently facing the UK Government is how to stop the arrival of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel in small boats.

There is also the question of what to do with people who arrive, especially if they claim to be fleeing persecution. Should they have a chance to present their case to Home Office officials or to the court? If so, where will they live while they await the decision?

What about legal immigration? There were 813,000 legal long-term migrants (i.e. people intending to stay) to the UK in 2025. That number is down from almost 1.5 million in 2023, but is it still too high? So what happens when all these people become eligible for “indefinite leave to remain”, which allows them to claim benefits and benefit from the NHS in roughly the same way as UK citizens?

Current Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood has some pretty bold answers.

It makes asylum status temporary, so even if you are granted asylum, you could be told to leave the country after 30 months if your home country is no longer deemed safe.

And he wants legal immigrants to wait twice as long before they can request permission to remain indefinitely.

Many Labor MPs are furious with him. They are strongly opposed to the plans.

Where does Mr. Burnham stand? Nobody knows.

The former Greater Manchester mayor gave a speech this morning outlining some of his plans for the Government. He talked in detail about the economy but said nothing about immigration.

In fact, he used the words “Manchester” or “Manchesterism” ten times but never once mentioned immigration.

There are all kinds of rumors about Mr. Burnham’s plans. Some think he could depose Ms Mahmood. Others think he could make him Chancellor.

And there are reports Mr Burnham will demand he softens his offers if he wants to keep his job.

But all he could say today was this: “While the political direction I have set is not negotiable, I will build an inclusive team at the highest level so that all segments of the party and the country can see themselves reflected and represented.

“And what I can say is that I will not be announcing these decisions on appointments – certainly not today – and indeed not until the end of this process; until then, feel free to ignore the wild speculations in circulation.”

Unless he can get some answers soon about one of the biggest issues facing Britain today, Mr Farage will continue to hang around Labor.