Fresh Labour infighting over tough immigration plans as Burnham's union ally leads conference protest accusing Home Secretary of 'fuelling the right'

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 04:52 EDT, 28 September 2026 | Updated: 05:14 EDT, 28 September 2026 Labour is braced for a fresh round of infighting over immigration today as a top union ally of Andy Burnham leads a demo calling for an easing of restrictions on care workers.Unison, now led by hard-Left general secretary Andrea Egan, will picket the party conference in Liverpool in a direct attack on the policies of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Ms Egan used an eve-of-protest interview to claim Ms Mahmood had 'fuelled the far-right' with her 'dehumanising' move to increase the amount of time migrants have to wait to get the right to settle in the UK. The union has criticised plans to make lower paid public service workers wait 15 years to qualify, instead of the current five.Ms Egan, who has said she is a 'fan' of the new PM, is due to say that care workers were already being treated like 'second class citizens' due to harsh visa restrictions, adding: 'Moving the goalposts at this stage in the game is wrong and unfair.'It comes ahead of a speech by Ms Mahmood in which she will defend her hardline approach to migration, which has made her unpopular with large part of the party. Those who have criticised her approach include Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, who, before re-entering the Cabinet, said the clampdown was 'un-British'. Ms Mahmood will claim 'fairness' is at the heart of her vision for the Home Office and will announce the reopening of a scheme to resettle refugees in the UK in a focus on safe and legal refugee routes to the UK.But her clampdown has also created problems for the Treasury. Immigration forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility could reportedly reduce Chancellor John Healey's fiscal headroom for spending at the Budget – potentially by as much as £7billion – by reducing expected tax revenues. Unison, now led by hard Left general secretary Andrea Egan, will picket the party conference in Liverpool in a direct attack on the policies of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood It comes ahead of a speech by Ms Mahmood in which she will defend her hardline approach to migration, which has made her unpopular with large party of the partyIt also comes against a backdrop of increasing far-Right anti-migrant protests on the south coast where Channel boats have come ashore. Ms Mahmood will say: 'Fairness is what unites us in this country. A fair society is what unlocks the very best of us. Because when people think this country is fair, they are more open and generous to others.'When this country feels unfair, people turn inwards. They grow less willing to tolerate difference.'I know the British people have not given up on their belief that we should be compassionate, live up to our international obligations, and save the lives of those fleeing war and persecution.'But she will also say that limits are needed and local people must be ready to receive refugees.She will say: 'But I also know this process must be capped and controlled, and communities must be ready and able to welcome those who come here.'This is what we can do and who we can be as we restore control to our borders, bear down on the small boat crossings, and unlock the inherent generosity of this country.'But Ms Egan will tell protesters outside the Liverpool conference centre that the NHS, social care and other essential services relied on the hard work of migrant staff.'Migrant workers must not be made scapegoats for decades of political failure to invest in public services.'The Prime Minister talks about building a national care service, an idea Unison fully supports.'However, that will require respect and appreciation for what care workers do and urgent action to retain the workforce.'The Government must drop these plans, keep the promises made to migrant workers and invest properly in public services.'