Burnham urged to water down Mahmood's controversial migration reforms

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Labour MPs have long been concerned over the Home Secretary’s plans to make it harder for people to stay in Britain and claim refugee status, as well as making it easier to deport people with no right to be here.

Under Ms Mahmood’s Immigration and Asylum Bill, migrants will have to wait twice as long before they are eligible for indefinite leave to remain.

Slamming the proposed changes, MPs wrote in a letter to Mr Burnham: “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."

Read more: 'I won't be intimidated': Migration minister hits back after Home Secretary demands he is sacked

Read more: Andy Burnham wins backing of 322 MPs - all but guaranteeing his coronation as Prime Minister

The Labour backbenchers urged Mr Burnham to “start by stripping out the hostile rhetoric which triggers existing anxieties” on asylum seekers and refugees.

Speaking to LBC in February, Ms Mahmood said there was a “majority” of Labour MPs who understood that only radical reform of the asylum regime would rebuild the broken system.

"As I was making my statement in the House today, it was clear that a majority of my colleagues were supportive of the proposals and understand the need for these changes.

"Look, I think politics is about making an argument, and that is what I was doing in the House today as I introduced these reforms in Parliament.

"Not everyone will agree. I accept that.”

In May, Mr Burnham’s close allies reportedly told the Guardian he would not seek to water down Ms Mahmood’s controversial reforms.

“Andy is fighting the most important by-election in half a century in the Labour-held seat with the largest Reform vote in the country,” a source close to the campaign told the Guardian.

“Immigration is the second most important issue there. He must show decisive

leadership on this and reframe but back the reforms to restore control over our borders and create a firm but fair migration system,” they added.

It is thought that he will keep Ms Mahmood as Home Secretary once he enters Downing Street.

Mr Burnham is almost guaranteed to be the next prime minister of the United Kingdom after 322 Labour MPs nominated him to take over from Sir Keir Starmer.

The total means that there are only 81 Labour MPs left who could nominate another contender, the minimum needed to get on to the ballot.

But convention dictates that the outgoing leader does not nominate a candidate, meaning in reality there are no longer enough undeclared MPs to back an alternative to Mr Burnham.

The former Greater Manchester mayor secured the nominations – amounting to 80% of the parliamentary party – by 5pm on Thursday, the first day MPs could formally back a leadership candidate.

Even before nominations opened, Mr Burnham seemed almost certain to enjoy a coronation as Labour leader as the only declared candidate in the race to succeed Sir Keir.

But the size of his support in the parliamentary party means even a late challenger now has virtually no hope of securing the required nominations.

Mr Burnham said he was “deeply grateful” to the 322 MPs who had backed him, saying their support “comes from across the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) and reflects a shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to politics”.

He added: “I want to empower MPs to bring the experiences of their constituents into the heart of government and harness the full breadth of our Labour movement, drawing on all its traditions and beliefs in pursuit of a common purpose.

“I want to thank every colleague who has nominated me for their commitment to that vision.”