Burnham to back Shabana Mahmood’s immigration changes, allies say

Exclusive: Greater Manchester understood to support home secretary’s push to limit legal and illegal migration

Andy Burnham is backing Shabana Mahmood’s controversial changes to the immigration system, his allies have said, in a blow to those in Labour who hope to soften them.

The Greater Manchester mayor is understood to be keen to reframe the changes but supportive of the home secretary’s attempts to limit legal and illegal migration, which have been criticised by some senior Labour MPs as un-British and mimicking Trump.