Andy Burnham has secured 322 nominations from Labour MPs and is effectively confirmed to stand after nearly 80 Labour MPs sent a letter condemning Shabana Mahmood’s plan to extend the wait for indefinite leave to remain to ten years.The letter accused Shabana Mahmood’s proposal of risking a Labour Party that resembles Reform UK, warned it would deepen child poverty and homelessness and said the measure would cost the state billions, demanding ministers rethink the policy before Mr. Burnham forms his Cabinet.Burnham’s supporters propose devolution, state control of utilities, a large housebuilding programme, tax shifts and rejoining the
EU, but he has not published a manifesto and faces criticism over democratic legitimacy after a narrow by-election win and an apology on Labour’s response to the Israel assault on Gaza.