Figures show that more small boat migrants crossed the Channel during Andy Burnham's first week as Prime Minister than arrived during Sir Keir Starmer's opening week in office, adding to pressure on the new premier to set out his stance on immigration. The comparison has been seized on by critics as evidence that a change of Labour leadership has done nothing to curb crossings, with Burnham so far declining to comment publicly on the issue since taking over in Downing Street.

The disclosure comes as Burnham faces mounting scrutiny on other fronts, having ruled out calling an early general election and declined to commit to a timetable for raising defence spending to 3% of GDP, a pledge his own Chancellor resigned over amid frustration at what was described as Starmer's "dithering". Together, the unresolved defence spending question and his silence on the Channel crossing figures are being framed as early tests of Burnham's premiership.