Geoff Hoon has said he believes Andy Burnham will tackle the issues of immigration and early release from prisons as they were campaign issues in Makerfield.
Speaking on GB News he said: “Labour inherited a terrible situation where, for years, the Conservative Party failed to bring new prison places on stream, and they are now trying to deal with it.
“I think he’s right, the Prime Minister, to say that [early release] should be looked at again, and he said that there will be a review. The actual legislation does not come into force until September so I think there is an opportunity there for the government to delay the implementation of this scheme, look again, particularly I think, at violent offenders, the kinds of appalling people who committed that terrible crime, killing a police constable.
“And in those circumstances, I think there is an opportunity to look afresh at the exceptions, and that must be exceptions for violent offenders.
“I think the most significant thing [Burnham] has done is to reappoint Shabana Mahmood into the job in the Home Office. She wanted to finish the work that she started.
“She’s taken some really tough decisions, and I’m confident that in the honeymoon that undoubtedly Andy Burnham will enjoy as new Prime Minister, he will see this through.
“I’m confident that he will. I’ve said it over and over again, he gets it. He understands the impact of immigration on the kinds of people he represents in Makerfield. It came up all the time in the by-election. He will deal with this.
“I think [Nigel Farage’s] star is waning. I think you see that gradually. Actually, one of the really interesting things is the reemergence of the Conservative Party as a right wing opposition.
“The Conservative Party is actually narrowing the scope for Reform to be all things to all people.”
