Brian Rowlands

@BBCNewsnight Academics would flood the country with immigrants given a chance

"We're definitely losing bright, talented, young, early-stage researchers to other locations - because there's so many friction points before actually getting into the UK" Gillian Tett, Provost of King's College, Cambridge, responds to today's immigration figures. #Newsnight

@BenGrahamUK Don’t agree -he will not get carried away with media hype , he knows the road to No 10 is difficult, first getting 81 MPs , who don’t known him , haven’t seen him perform in Parliament, to risk their careers , during a Summer recess , exceptionally difficult-

Andy Burnham is already planning for life as Prime Minister before a single vote has even been cast in Makerfield. Talking about “a team of all the talents” and reshuffling government jobs while local people are still deciding who to back. The sheer arrogance is staggering. I think Makerfield residents will see straight through it and vote Reform instead. Do you think Makerfield will vote Labour or Reform?

@ukhomeoffice And where have they gone ? Next door to people in HMOs , so they are right in the middle of neighbourhoods which are culturally different.-nothing great about that

NEW: There are now 35,000 fewer illegal migrants in asylum hotels – a 63% decrease since September 2023. At its peak, 400 asylum hotels were in use, costing the taxpayer £9 million a day. All asylum hotels will close their doors to illegal migrants for good.

@ITVNewsPolitics Only stating the obvious

Unlikely allies: Conservative peer says Labour should 'stick with' Starmer itv.com/news/border/20…

@Telegraph Many unpredictable hurdles before this is a starter -the main one being getting the trust if 81 MPs , who currently do not know him , know how he performs in Parliament, and doing all this whilst Parliament is in recess ! Streeting couldn’t get anywhere near 81!

Andy Burnham is yet to secure his return to Westminster... But in the wood-panelled corridors of power, the contours of his future Cabinet are already beginning to take shape. Find out who exactly could be part of it 👇 telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/…

@ukhomeoffice And nearly all are allowed to stay , on benefits and with preferential housing

Asylum decisions have quadrupled. The asylum backlog is now down from its peak of 175,000 to 49,000 people awaiting a decision - the lowest level since 2019. More decisions mean more asylum hotel closures and more illegal migrants removed or deported.

@zatzi @uk_sf_writer He is not -knows it’s a long game -circumstances and practicalities mean it’s not easy for example to get 81 names-Parliament goes into recess a few weeks after his election and few MPs know him -media hype that he walks into No 10

He hasn’t even been elected yet and he’s handing out cabinet jobs. The complacency is off the scale Wouldn’t it be tragic if the voters of Makerfield brought him back down to earth. “Burnham expected to include Streeting in future Cabinet” telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/…

@spectator But at a cost , extra tax -true cost of average journeys circa £6.50 , charges £2. So council taxpayers pay an extra tax to cover the huge loss -nothing is free ,

It's one of those political facts that everyone parrots without really knowing whether it's true: Andy Burnham has, in his own words, "transformed" Greater Manchester's bus service. Burnham's publicly-controlled double-deckers are Exhibit A in the claim that his "Manchesterism" amounts to more than a catchphrase. Real voters, including in Makerfield, bring it up spontaneously. And even the SW1 classes, while often dismissing Our Next Prime Minister as a weathervane and lightweight, usually mention the buses. I'm a bus lover, a regular bus user and broadly a supporter of Burnham's "Bee Network," a London-style system operated by private contractors but with timetables, routes, fares, and branding controlled and subsidised by the mayor. And I too claim some paternity. As Boris Johnson's No. 10 transport adviser, I fought off heavy lobbying by one of the big bus companies which wanted us to stop it. ✍️ Andrew Gilligan Article | spectator.com/article/burnha…

@steve_hawkes On that Poll few Labour MPs would risk the label of a rebel and sign up to Burnham -if Starmer wins you risk being deselected for 2029 and no job

Keir Starmer Bounce!

@kelvmackenzie Like Streeting Burnham needs 81 to launch a bid , problematic during a recess , then Conference , unknown to most MPs needs to build a base and Starmer will have recovered by then-so becoming an MP is just a step to be in the game in due course -go too early ,be like Streeting!

Burnham is letting it be known he will include Streeting in his Cabinet as part of a “ team of all the talents” which is better known as the “ team of all the charlatans”.

@timespolitics With the time line Burnham will not be planning any attempt of a leadership bid any time soon -being unknown to MPs getting 81 is problematic during a recess , then comes Conference and he needs to build a base -go too soon as you mess it up for good like Streeting

Andy Burnham’s £20k from unions as he prepared Labour leadership run #Echobox=1779395135" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

@JohnRentoul All good for media hype -the route for Burnham is more problematic even when he wins by election and he is no fool and will be playing the long game -Starmer is now safe and Streeting no longer a runner

Similar to More in Common poll x.com/LukeTryl/statu…

Deltapoll finds voters say they'd switch to Lab if Burnham is PM: Reform 8-pt lead becomes Lab 1-pt lead deltapoll.co.uk/andyburnham-26…

@timespolitics He went too soon , lost a good job , lost all credibility and is now perceived a loser -end of

Has Wes Streeting fired starting gun on a wealth tax arms race? #Echobox=1779383976" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

@DavidVance Do they actually believe anyone would accept that -pathetic really

The IRGC releases a new map of its sphere of control. Trump ok with this?

@EricLDaugh Lots of leaks but all for negotiation purposes , reality Iran is on its knees -it’s Proxies can’t and won’t help them by opening a second front -Houthi an example-frightened of US

🚨 NOW: President Trump's team has REJECTED Iranian terms for Strait of Hormuz access and controls GOOD! America first terms ONLY "Iran has released a map showing what it calls a controlled maritime zone. Tehran says it's committed to reopening the strait to friendly countries that abide by its terms, which will most likely include fees for just going through the strait." "And Washington, by the way, reacting to that saying it is simply unacceptable."

@SBarrettBar Suspect he thought it a silly question as he is unlikely to give up all the trimmings of being the Mayor

Who the hell does he think he is?

@MatthewTorbitt @AndyBurnhamGM Because they replaced the inner city with luxury high rise

Manchester has recorded the biggest fall in inner-city deprivation in Britain between 2010 and 2025. Well in @AndyBurnhamGM 🫡 centreforcities.org/publication/un…

@DavidVance Whilst the headlines look good the reality is not

She is misleading you. 813,000 came here last year. 645,000 left inc aspirational young ppl Take one from the other and you get her 171,000. So, we import the third world and lose our best people and she celebrates.

@DavidVance He who laughs last laughs the longest

The IRGC are just laughing at Trump now!

@FraserNelson Need an aspirational economic scenario to achieve that which is not part if Manchesterism

Andy Burnham says Britain must break free of the bond markets. But without a credible plan for growth, investment and spending restraint, the UK will end up even more in hock to those markets. Excellent from Juliet Samuel:- comment.press/bondsburnham