Op-Ed
General
The five charts that expose how wannabe PM Andy Burnham is boxed in over Brexit
ASeekers Editorial
02 Jul 2026
In response to: GB News
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"keyClaims": [
"Andy Burnham is described as 'Prime Minister-in-waiting'",
"Five charts expose how Burnham is 'boxed in' over Brexit",
"The UK economy has made progress since Brexit"
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"cruelty": 0
# When Politicians Play Games With Economic Narratives, Asylum Seekers Pay the Price
The framing of Andy Burnham as "Prime Minister-in-waiting" by GB News, accompanied by claims about "eye-opening charts" proving Brexit's economic success, represents more than partisan politicking. It's part of a dangerous pattern where manufactured economic narratives are weaponised to justify cruelty toward the most vulnerable people in our society—including those seeking asylum.
Let's be clear about what's happening here: incomplete data, cherry-picked statistics, and inflammatory language designed to paint Brexit as an unqualified success. This matters because when politicians and media outlets distort economic realities to serve ideological agendas, asylum seekers become convenient scapegoats for problems that have nothing to do with them.
The UK asylum system is in crisis—not because of the people seeking safety, but because of deliberate policy choices. Processing times have ballooned to years. People are warehoused in unsuitable accommodation or threatened with deportation to Rwanda. Legal aid has been gutted. The "hostile environment" philosophy continues to poison how we treat human beings fleeing persecution. Yet media narratives like this GB News piece help construct a fictional economic backdrop where Brexit must be defended at all costs, and anyone deemed "other" becomes a useful target.
When economic arguments are presented dishonestly—charts without context, progress claims without proper comparison, political framing masquerading as analysis—the consequences extend far beyond electoral politics. These narratives shape public opinion. They provide cover for politicians who want to appear "tough" on immigration. They make it easier to dehumanise asylum seekers as burdens rather than recognise them as people exercising a fundamental human right.
The truth is that Britain's treatment of asylum seekers has become increasingly cruel regardless of which economic charts anyone produces. People are dying in the Channel. Families are being separated. Children are growing up in limbo, unable to access education or healthcare properly. Survivors of torture and trafficking are being disbelieved and detained. None of this is justified by economic data—accurate or otherwise.
What asylum seekers need is honesty. They need a system that processes claims fairly and swiftly. They need accommodation that meets basic dignity standards. They need access to legal representation. They need politicians who will tell the truth about economic realities instead of using distorted narratives to justify inhumane policies.
When GB News frames political figures through the lens of Brexit economics, presenting incomplete information as revelation, it participates in a broader media ecosystem that has normalised cruelty. Every misleading chart, every inflammatory headline, every piece of analysis that treats human rights as negotiable based on economic performance makes it easier for politicians to avoid accountability.
The facts about asylum are clear: seeking safety is a human right, enshrined in international law. Britain has both the capacity and the obligation to treat asylum seekers with dignity. Economic arguments—whether honest or manipulated—should never be used to justify cruelty.
We must demand better. Better journalism. Better politics. And most urgently, a better asylum system that recognises the humanity of every person seeking safety on our shores.
The framing of Andy Burnham as "Prime Minister-in-waiting" by GB News, accompanied by claims about "eye-opening charts" proving Brexit's economic success, represents more than partisan politicking. It's part of a dangerous pattern where manufactured economic narratives are weaponised to justify cruelty toward the most vulnerable people in our society—including those seeking asylum.
Let's be clear about what's happening here: incomplete data, cherry-picked statistics, and inflammatory language designed to paint Brexit as an unqualified success. This matters because when politicians and media outlets distort economic realities to serve ideological agendas, asylum seekers become convenient scapegoats for problems that have nothing to do with them.
The UK asylum system is in crisis—not because of the people seeking safety, but because of deliberate policy choices. Processing times have ballooned to years. People are warehoused in unsuitable accommodation or threatened with deportation to Rwanda. Legal aid has been gutted. The "hostile environment" philosophy continues to poison how we treat human beings fleeing persecution. Yet media narratives like this GB News piece help construct a fictional economic backdrop where Brexit must be defended at all costs, and anyone deemed "other" becomes a useful target.
When economic arguments are presented dishonestly—charts without context, progress claims without proper comparison, political framing masquerading as analysis—the consequences extend far beyond electoral politics. These narratives shape public opinion. They provide cover for politicians who want to appear "tough" on immigration. They make it easier to dehumanise asylum seekers as burdens rather than recognise them as people exercising a fundamental human right.
The truth is that Britain's treatment of asylum seekers has become increasingly cruel regardless of which economic charts anyone produces. People are dying in the Channel. Families are being separated. Children are growing up in limbo, unable to access education or healthcare properly. Survivors of torture and trafficking are being disbelieved and detained. None of this is justified by economic data—accurate or otherwise.
What asylum seekers need is honesty. They need a system that processes claims fairly and swiftly. They need accommodation that meets basic dignity standards. They need access to legal representation. They need politicians who will tell the truth about economic realities instead of using distorted narratives to justify inhumane policies.
When GB News frames political figures through the lens of Brexit economics, presenting incomplete information as revelation, it participates in a broader media ecosystem that has normalised cruelty. Every misleading chart, every inflammatory headline, every piece of analysis that treats human rights as negotiable based on economic performance makes it easier for politicians to avoid accountability.
The facts about asylum are clear: seeking safety is a human right, enshrined in international law. Britain has both the capacity and the obligation to treat asylum seekers with dignity. Economic arguments—whether honest or manipulated—should never be used to justify cruelty.
We must demand better. Better journalism. Better politics. And most urgently, a better asylum system that recognises the humanity of every person seeking safety on our shores.