Andy Burnham has broken with the careful ambiguity of his leadership campaign to demand Labour “go further” in tackling illegal migration, warning that small boat crossings are corroding public trust in politics and agreeing with Nigel Farage that Britain needs to restore order to its immigration system.
The Greater Manchester Mayor, who is widely expected to win next week’s Makerfield by-election and use it as a launchpad for a Labour leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer, made the comments to BBC Radio Manchester as he sought to position himself as a more credible voice on an issue that has dominated British politics for years.
“It’s this thing about control, isn’t it? It feels like the country isn’t functioning properly, running things properly and the small boats issue completely speaks to that. People want it to be dealt with. We do need to go further,” Burnham said. He called for greater use of detention for those with no legitimate basis for an asylum claim, faster processing of failed applications and speedier removals. “We need to make greater use of detention so that people who have got no basis for a claim are not actually admitted into the country. That’s dealt with quickly and there’s a speedier return. It is something that has to be gripped and gripped properly.”
Burnham also took aim at what he described as an unfair distribution of asylum seekers across the country, arguing that the Home Office routinely dumps responsibility on poorer communities while wealthier areas avoid their share. “It is not right that the Home Office just goes to the areas where housing is lower cost and overly uses those areas when it comes to asylum dispersal. I have argued strongly repeatedly that all areas of the country should play a role.” He called for local authorities to be properly consulted before placements are made, describing the current situation as one where “the Home Office just does what it wants.”
Drawing on his experience as immigration minister under Tony Blair, Burnham argued that control of the system was achievable. “We did get a grip on the system at that point in time. This Government is getting more of a grip but it does need to go further.” He also backed the creation of safe and legal routes while pressing for an end to Channel crossing chaos, and expressed support for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s asylum reforms — describing her as “right to grasp this nettle.”
However, Burnham did voice concern about one aspect of the Government’s approach, warning that leaving asylum seekers without a clear route to settlement could paradoxically worsen the backlog. “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.”
His comments came days after he backed giving asylum seekers the right to work as part of efforts to address Britain’s youth unemployment crisis — a position that sits in some tension with his harder line on detention and removal, and which illustrates the balancing act he is attempting as he courts both traditional Labour voters and those who have drifted toward Reform UK.
