Zia Yusuf, Shadow Home Secretary for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, has warned that Labour’s immigration policies under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s expected successor, Andy Burnham, will exacerbate Britain’s immigration crisis.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Reform UK’s Shadow Home Secretary, Zia Yusuf, has criticized Labour’s immigration plans, warning that Sir Keir Starmer’s likely successor as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, will worsen Britain’s immigration crisis. In a Sunday video statement shared on social media, Yusuf warned that Burnham intends to relocate over 10,000 asylum seekers from countries like Sudan and Eritrea, whose nationals are disproportionately convicted of violent and sexual offenses. 📰 DETAIL: Yusuf argues that Labour lacks a mandate for such immigration policies, as they were not included in their manifesto (election platform) in 2024. He also highlights concerns about the potential for up to 2.2 million immigrants to gain so-called indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and full access to welfare benefits if Burnham blocks a plan to retrospectively change the waiting period for ILR from five to ten years. “Britain has once again been betrayed by a political class that refuses to secure the border, refuses to enforce the law and refuses to put British people first. Under Andy Burnham, this will only get worse,” Reform said in a statement published Monday. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “Labour has no mandate for this. It was not in their manifesto. The British people voted repeatedly for less immigration, yet keep being subjected to more.” – Zia Yusuf 🎯 IMPACT: Yusuf warns that Burnham’s policies could cost taxpayers £50 billion (~$66.2 billion), equating to £1,800 (~$2,400) per household, and argues that only Reform UK can be trusted to protect Britain’s borders and taxpayers. Burnham is expected to take over from Starmer as Labour leader and Prime Minister within a matter of weeks, with Starmer having resigned following heavy losses to Reform in local elections, and no clear challenger to Burnham emerging. |
🚨My message to Andy Burnham pic.twitter.com/Patpfds0PG
— Zia Yusuf (@ZiaYusufUK) June 28, 2026
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