Burnham backs asylum bill as 14 Labour MPs rebel against reforms

Andy Burnham has voted in support of the government's controversial Immigration and Asylum Bill, endorsing Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's reforms despite significant internal Labour opposition. The legislation passed its second reading in the House of Commons on Monday with 264 votes to 90, delivering a majority of 174. However, 14 Labour backbenchers voted against the measures, and approximately 80 Labour MPs had privately urged Burnham to reconsider or pause the proposals before the vote.

The bill aims to reduce small boat crossings across the English Channel by tightening rules on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to private and family life. It would replace immigration judges with independent adjudicators to hear appeals, a change the government says will accelerate decision-making and clear backlogs. Additional amendments announced by Mahmood would remove legal protections preventing the deportation of some long-term Commonwealth citizens convicted of serious crimes, specifically addressing the case of the Rochdale grooming gang leader.

Home Secretary Mahmood framed the reforms as necessary to restore public confidence in the asylum system. She highlighted that since Labour took office, arrests of people smugglers have increased by 55%, asylum decisions reached a 24-year high, and removals hit their highest level in almost a decade. The government also reported that asylum hotel housing numbers have fallen by nearly 30%.

Labour backbenchers who opposed the bill raised practical and principled concerns. MPs including Nadia Whittome, Stella Creasy, and Tony Vaughan questioned whether the measures would effectively address small boat crossings, with some arguing that Home Office decision-making rather than the tribunal system was the core problem. Creasy criticised plans to reassess refugee status every 30 months under a new "core protection" route.

Burnham's support for the reforms signals his position as he prepares to become prime minister on Monday, following Keir Starmer's expected resignation. His endorsement of controversial immigration measures early in his tenure suggests continuity with current government policy, though his pitch to Labour MPs emphasised restoring a "broad church" culture within the party after complaints about Starmer's leadership style.

The Conservative opposition also voted against the bill, with shadow home secretary Chris Philp arguing the measures did not go far enough and maintaining that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights remained necessary.