Burnham's first test: Incoming PM must choose whether to back immigration curbs in crunch vote tonight - as Labour MPs plot revolt

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 08:52, 13 July 2026 | Updated: 08:58, 13 July 2026 Andy Burnham faces an early test today as Labour MPs threaten to revolt against immigration curbs. Dozens of Left-wingers could abstain or vote against the Immigration and Asylum Bill at second reading stage this evening. Mr Burnham - set to be PM in just a week - will have to decide whether to vote for the legislation, signalling support for Shabana Mahmood's reforms. MPs are angry that the Bill will stop refugee status being permanent, meaning those granted asylum will face reviews every 30 months to see if they still face danger in their home countries or if they could safely return. However, rebels also want to send a message on plans to make migrants wait 10 years instead of five before they can settle permanently in Britain. There are fears that otherwise 1.6million who have arrived since 2021 will be eligible for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) - and benefits.  Although that is not part of the law currently being considered, 80 backbenchers have sent Mr Burnham a letter demanding he forces the Home Secretary to change course.  Andy Burnham faces an early test today as Labour MPs threaten to revolt against immigration curbs Mr Burnham - set to be PM in just a week - will have to decide whether to vote for the legislation, signalling support for Shabana Mahmood's (pictured) reforms A compromise is now thought to be on the table that could see the ILR period kept at five years for people who are already in the country - but their access to benefits would be curbed.  The vote tonight is meant to be on the broad principles of the Bill, with rebellions often focusing on later stages when detailed amendments are tabled.  Sources close to Mr Burnham have told the Daily Mail he 'gets' the importance of getting 'proper control of immigration'. However, in the letter sent to him by Labour MPs last week, he was told that voters in his Makerfield constituency are more concerned about illegal migrants than 'making it harder for nurses and care workers to settle here'. Mr Burnham was warned that under Ms Mahmood, Labour had 'decided to fight on Reform's territory'. The backbenchers said her plan to double the time to qualify for ILR retrospectively 'does not pass the fairness test'. They said the party was 'expending huge political capital' and 'huge Home Office resource' as well as 'losing progressive voters' on a policy that 'few really understand or want'. 'We need a more strategic, cross-party approach, less focused on political point-scoring, which risks this Labour Party being seen as a pale imitation of Reform,' they urged.