Burnham backs migration linked to Britain’s economic needs

Andy Burnham declined to say whether legal immigration of 171,000 people a year is too high, arguing that planned migration should respond to gaps in the economy. He said net migration had fallen significantly and was in a “much better place”, while acknowledging that migration and illegal immigration had changed since Brexit.

The comments came in an ITV interview about his first 100 days. The article contrasts the 2025 net figure with 1.7 million unemployed people and nine million working-age people who are inactive. Long-term immigration reached a record 944,000 in 2023 before falling; the Conservatives credit restrictions they introduced for the decline.