Why Burnham can wave goodbye to a second term if he lets Labour MPs block Mahmood’s immigration reforms

1 comment 1 Next ANDY BURNHAM is clearly confident of winning a second term – but he can wave goodbye to all that if he lets Labour MPs block reforms to the immigration rules. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood wants to make foreign workers wait ten or 15 years instead of just five to claim indefinite leave to remain in the UK. 6 Shabana Mahmood wants foreign workers to wait up to 15 years for indefinite leave to remain, as Labour faces pressure over immigration reforms Credit: Simon Jones 6 The tougher rules are needed to prevent millions who arrived when the Tories opened the floodgates after Brexit — the so-called Boriswave — claiming permanent status from next year Credit: Getty Advertisement So far, she insists she’s got the Prime Minister’s support but he should make that absolutely clear and tell Cabinet ­ministers and MPs to get in line if he wants to be in Downing Street after the next election. The tougher rules are needed to prevent millions who arrived when the Tories opened the floodgates after Brexit — the so-called Boriswave — claiming permanent status from next year. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Email address Please provide a valid email. Your info will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy You'll now receive top stories, breaking news, and more, straight to your email. Around 4.2million people came to ­Britain in just three years. Three-quarters of them are still here. Some were illegal migrants arriving on small boats. Some were refugees fleeing Ukraine , or China’s brutal crackdown in Hong Kong. READ MORE OPINION KEMI BADENOCH Labour is trying to borrow its way out of debt & pulling us into trouble ROSS CLARK Shock France riots reveal why Britain rejoining the EU would be a terrible idea But millions were so-called temporary workers and students waved in legally. Out of those, for example, more than 600,000 workers and their families arrived on “health and care visas” in just two years. More than 90 per cent are still in the UK and will be able to apply for ­permanent status from next year — along with their dependents. The Sun revealed at the weekend that we face a ticking timebomb that will cost billions in benefits and pensions and put huge pressure on crumbling schools , housing and hospitals. Mahmood wants to relieve that pressure. Advertisement Most read in The Sun DEATH RIDDLE Woman, 36, dies after being found unresponsive in home - as cops probe death CONTINENT CHAOS Cops & left-wing protesters clash in Spain after 'apocalyptic' France riots VLAD THREAT Putin 'sends fishing boats to spy on Britain' as tyrant targets undersea cables SKILLS LOST Navy 'lost its ability to fight beneath ice cap & is leaving seas to Russians' 6 Around 4.2million people came to Britain in just three years, including small boat migrants, Ukrainians fleeing war and Hongkongers escaping China’s crackdown Credit: AFP 6 Some 600,000 migrants came in on health and care visas over two years Credit: Getty She is worried that when they get the paperwork, they will leave those jobs in care homes and hundreds of thousands more people will be needed to fill the gap. And with more than 70 per cent of ­voters wanting immigration brought under control, she understands the public’s anger and the heavy price Labour will pay if they do not get a grip. But more than a hundred Labour MPs — led by Communities Secretary Angela ­Rayner and Energy Secretary Miatta ­Fahnbulleh — are trying to water down the changes . Advertisement Rayner says it is not fair to change the rules after people have already arrived here and are working in the care system. But they did not come here as ­permanent migrants — that is why they had ­temporary visas. And care home owners and other employers have had plenty of time to recruit replacements from the millions of British-born people currently being paid not to work. Fahnbulleh said the plans threatened “the process of building cohesion”. She said Labour should “raise the level of the debate” and “challenge divisive ­political rhetoric” on immigration, which she claimed has become “increasingly ­depressing and toxic”. Advertisement 6 Andy Burnham is clearly confident of winning a second term – but he can wave goodbye to all that if he lets Labour MPs block reforms to the immigration rules Credit: Getty 6 More than a hundred Labour MPs — led by Communities Secretary Angela ­Rayner and Energy Secretary Miatta ­Fahnbulleh, above — are trying to water down Mahmood’s reforms Credit: Shutterstock Editorial And she said her London constituency of Peckham was “a good example” of what can happen when “people are given the opportunity to integrate and participate”. Well, instead of telling people what they should think and say, may I suggest she gets out of London and listens to what people in the forgotten towns of the ­Midlands and the North have to say on the matter. She will discover that most of Britain is not like London. Advertisement Instead of having millions of jobs in financial services, law firms and tech start-ups, the old once-great industrial heartlands have struggled to attract new investment, ­industries and vacancies to replace the ones they’ve lost. And when it comes to immigration, unlike London, they certainly don’t get many millionaire American bankers, wealthy European investors or tech tycoons. Instead, they are asked to find homes for more than their fair share of illegal immigrants or low-skilled workers ­competing for scarce jobs. If anything, most people will think ­Mahmood’s proposals are pretty modest and that they could go much further. Like taking tougher action to speed up the removal of illegal immigrants. Advertisement Foreign prisoners should also be flown home as soon as they leave jail instead of being released on to the streets. They also need to sort out the welfare system to get people off the dole and into work to replace temporary workers who leave. Plus ensure that migrants can’t claim ­benefits, use the NHS free of charge or access social housing until they have worked and paid in first. They need to crack down on dodgy companies exploiting migrant workers to undercut decent businesses. If a big company cannot find someone here with the skills they need and want to recruit someone from abroad, they must be obliged to train up a British worker. Fahnbulleh is right to want to promote integration, but the best way to do that is by insisting that people who move here respect our values of democracy, equality between men and women, freedom, ­fairness and tolerance. Advertisement New arrivals must further learn to speak English so they can play a full role in society. And the Government should start ­booting out extremists and banning the racist hate marches that target our ­communities. That’s the sort of plan the people of Britain would get behind. RECOMMENDED STORIES Andy Burnham ignores it at his peril. Advertisement 1 comment 1