Shabana Mahmood is many things – but not an ‘outstanding politician’

He really believed that Mahmood was someone who was revered by left and right alike (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire/Getty) ‘Shabana Mahmood is one of the outstanding politicians of this generation’, I read this post from Robert Peston – the political editor of ITV News – on X yesterday morning. A smile crept across my face as I read it, waiting for the joke. This was X, after all, where everything is one big meme – none of this could possibly be serious. ‘She is admired across the political spectrum’, it continued. My smile started to waver, and I nervously chuckled, because as I continued to read the post, I realised the political expert was very serious. He really believed that Mahmood was someone who was revered by left and right alike. This post came at a time when next Labour leader Andy Burnham is reported to be closing in on plans to make Mahmood – the current home secretary – as the Chancellor in his cabinet. But like almost every other person replying to his post, I was left confused by not just Peston’s statements but Burnham’s bizarre choice. Make sense of the mad world of British politics Get analysis of the latest stories – including Nigel Farage’s resignation – direct to your inbox from Metro’s Senior Politics Reporter Craig Munro. Sign up here. Her economic background is pretty much non-existent (Picture: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images) Because surely, the majority of us can agree that Mahmood has very little in terms of quantifiable achievements. Unless, of course, you’re someone who thinks a socialist party should have hard-line policies on immigration. And even more significant – her economic background is pretty much non-existent. It made me wonder why she was being pushed as a popular choice, and why someone like Ed Miliband – an actually popular choice – is being left by the wayside. Shabana Mahmood is one of the outstanding politicians of this generation. She is admired across the political spectrum. This morning the Home Secretary is cited everywhere, including this morning’s splash in the Financial Times, as Andy Burnham’s chancellor. Reaction in the…— Robert Peston (@Peston) July 16, 2026 Mahmood emerged as the frontrunner for chancellor earlier this week, when senior Labour members told the Guardian that it looked likely the home secretary would be moved to the Treasury. Of course, we won’t actually know until Burnham has entered No. 10 on Monday, but it seems pretty likely Mahmood will be occupying Number 11. But since the current occupant of that famous house, Rachel Reeves, is considered a big factor in Labour’s woes, many were hoping for someone to come in and make significant changes. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A YouGov poll has suggested that as of last month, 54% of the general public thinks that Reeves is doing a bad job. Reeves’ poor performance has included initially planning to means test the Winter Fuel payment that millions of pensioners relied on, hiking up inheritance tax and angered farmers, changing up national Insurance contributions and a generally uninspiring style. There is a desperation among the British public who clamoured for Keir Starmer to be removed – give us someone good, Andy. But Mahmood’s financial acumen falls short, and it remains to be seen how her economic policies align with Burnham’s. Burnham has said he wants to make change and ‘build new politics’ (Picture: Toby Shepheard / AFP via Getty Images) Whether this comes to pass or not is to be seen — but Burnham’s team has implied that they ‘want someone at Number 11 who will simply execute their will’ and ‘be a cipher’. However, after his speech today, Burnham has said he wants to make change and ‘build new politics’ — but if he’s going to put up someone else to take the flak for his ethical decisions, this claim of change falls flat. However, Ed Miliband – the most obvious favourite to many – is no longer the name on everyone’s lips. But his left-leaning, net-zero ambitions should be the policies we stand behind. Who do you think is a suitable choice for Chancellor? Cut through political noise and understand how the Westminster chaos actually affects your life with Metro's award-nominated politics newsletter Alright, Gov?. We can’t risk Labour continuing to push right-wing policies, that we can no longer call ‘leaning’. They are staunchly sitting in right-wing territory, and a lot of that narrative has come from Mahmood herself. With her inhuman anti-immigration policies, plans on seizing migrant assets, deporting at will and admiring the famously cruel Tory Margaret Thatcher – she is not part of the fresh new Labour the public want. Since we’ve dropped Starmer, we need to drop her too. Because it’s not just the public who dislike her – she is unpopular amongst her peers. Ed Miliband – the most obvious favourite to many – is no longer the name on everyone’s lips (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images) In November 2025, when Mahmood laid out her immigration plans, over 20 Labour MPs went public condemning her reforms. If Burnham continues with this proposal, then he is mirroring Starmer – just with less grey hair. There is no substance in bringing in Mahmood as the face of his economic policy, and a lot of what she has done as the home secretary has been damaging to the party’s optics. So, I disagree with Robert Peston – Shabana Mahmood is neither an outstanding politician of this generation, nor admired. And if Andy Burnham brings her over as chancellor, he is making his first of many mistakes. We are risking losing Labour further from the hard right, to the far right. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. Share your views in the comments below. Arrow MORE: I praised The Odyssey – Elon Musk’s deluded trolls called me a crazy liberal b**** Arrow MORE: The three things Keir Starmer did that will stand the test of time Arrow MORE: Keir Starmer puts Sadiq Khan in House of Lords on final day as Labour leader Alright Gov Straight-talking analysis from Westminster, straight to your inbox.