Nearly 80 Labour MPs have written to Andy Burnham to urge him to water down Shabana Mahmood’s migration reforms.
In a joint letter to Mr Burnham, the group of backbench Labour MPs warned the Home Secretary’s Immigration & Asylum Bill risks “losing progressive voters”.
They added: “Targeting a group of migrants that followed the rules, and applying this retrospectively, does not pass the fairness test for a compassionate but firm system.
“We do not recall being asked on the doorstep to make it harder for migrant workers to settle in the UK.
“Yet we are expending political capital, huge Home Office resource, and losing progressive voters on an indefinite leave to remain reform, which few really understand or want.”
The legislation plans to double the time most migrants have to wait before becoming eligible for indefinite leave to remain and requires asylum seekers to repay some of their taxpayer-funded hotel bills.
However, Mr Burnham came out swinging in favour of Ms Mahmood’s reforms ahead of the Makerfield by-election in June.
He appeared to complete a spectacular migration U-turn after previously criticising the Home Secretary over her proposed changes.
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…