‘Andy Burnham makes Labour leadership feel wide open – and that is Starmer’s failure’

Read time: 3 mins

In brief…

• Andy Burnham claims Labour MPs are urging him to challenge Keir Starmer’s leadership in the Labour government. This isn’t possible while he’s not an MP, but his criticism of the PM highlights the fragility at the top of the party.
• The News Agents say the timing of Burnham’s revelations are key, coming just days before Labour’s 2025 conference.
• Offering an alternative way to approach Labour’s time in power, they add that Burnham is likely to find support among the left-wing Labour MPs who are also unhappy with Starmer’s leadership.

What’s the story?

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has never made a secret of his ambitions to become the Prime Minister.

He previously ran for the position in 2015, while the Member of Parliament for Leigh in Greater Manchester.

Now the city’s mayor, Burhham once again appears to be on manoeuvres, telling The Telegraph newspaper that he was being urged by Labour MPs to challenge Starmer’s leadership.

Burnham himself has made no comment of any future intentions, but Emily Maitlis says even his choice of publication tells us something is afoot.

“The Telegraph is not a naturally Labour friendly place to talk,” she says.

“He is clearly bidding to have their attention to make waves as a person within Labour circles who is unafraid to challenge Keir Starmer, calling out a lack of passion, direction, and the proper change he feels the country needs.”

But while Burnham may prove “dangerous” for the Labour government due to his overwhelming success and popularity in Manchester and innate political strength, there is one major complication in his Downing Street ambition – he isn’t an MP, and cannot oppose Starmer’s leadership.

But that doesn’t mean his very public challenge can’t cause serious concerns for the PM.

“It seems slightly unbelievable that this is happening only a year and a bit into Keir Starmer's premiership, that a move to unseat him seems to be taking place right now, and it is the common chat around Labour circles,” says Jon Sopel.

“Not so much that MPs should get behind Burnham, but that the whole question of the leadership seems to be wide open – and that is a failure of leadership from Starmer.”

What’s Andy Burnham trying to achieve?

Without a seat in the House of Commons, Burnham can’t challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership. But if the party was to want him in with a chance, he could be shuffled into a seat with some behind the scenes wrangling over which MPs stand in which Manchester seats.

Continuing to play coy on his gameplan, Burnham has said his shot at leadership is “a matter for the party in Westminster to decide."

"Andy Burnham wants to be Prime Minister. We know that because he stood in 2015, and it was his to win. He botched it, and Jeremy Corbyn became leader instead," says Lewis Goodall.

"Burnham is a figure who has long attracted attention for the Labour Party, and he's long been treated extremely suspiciously by Keir Starmer, and by No. 10."

And with good reason – he’s publicly thrown Starmer’s leadership into question, suggested an alternative way for the PM  to govern, and gained the support of those on the left of the party.

"He is criticising the way Starmer has handled himself in office, he's saying that No.10 has created a climate of fear in Labour," Lewis says.

"He's calling for council tax reform to increase rates on big homes in London and the Southeast. He says there's a case for 50p on the top income tax rate."

His timing, Lewis adds, couldn't be more perfect for making headlines – or more irritating for Starmer and No.10, coming just days before Labour's annual conference.

"This is the sort of thing that No.10, on the eve of the Labour Party Conference, will not welcome," he says.

"He's going over and above what he has done before, where he's basically indicated that he might be interested in returning to Westminster.

"He is setting out his stall comprehensively."

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