Sky News Clash Exposes Labour's Internal Divide Over Asylum And Identity Politics

Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election but Michael Heaver argues the Labour Party is in the grip of a nervous breakdown, hoping Burnham can save them from collapse.The reality, he says, is stark: the government is still allowing huge numbers of people to cross illegally from France to England, with more than 10,000 crossings so far this year alone. The latest national poll shows Reform up and Labour now in fourth place on just 15 percent.That tension spilled into the open on Sky News, where former Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire and Reform MP Sarah Pochin clashed repeatedly over asylum policy, the House of Lords appointments system, and violence against women and girls, in an exchange Michael Heaver describes as revealing about the state of modern Labour.Meanwhile, Keir Starmer insists there is no leadership contest "at the moment" but says he would stand if one happened comments that come as critics argue his credibility is gone and that Labour has collapsed under him. With Burnham's stock rising, Michael Heaver weighs up Labour's two likely paths: an early general election to try to catch a poll bounce, or grinding on until 2029.What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.