Pressure on Starmer ramps up as Burnham one step closer to challenge
The prospect of a leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer is looming closer after Andy Burnham was cleared to run for selection in the Makerfield by-election.
The Greater Manchester mayor is seeking to replace Josh Simons, who is standing down as an MP to make way for Mr Burnham to return to Parliament.
Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), has granted Mr Burnham permission to stand in the selection process.
Applications close on Monday and the NEC will endorse a candidate on Thursday. June 18 is thought to be the earliest date a by-election could take place.
If he is successfully elected, Mr Burnham is widely expected to challenge Sir Keir for the party leadership.
While Makerfield is typically a safe seat for Labour, the party expects a stiff challenge from Reform UK this time around.
Mr Simons secured a majority of just 5,399 over Nigel Farage’s party at the 2024 general election.
Since then, Labour’s polling collapse and Reform’s surge have seen their positions reverse.
This month’s local elections saw Reform win every council ward in the Makerfield constituency, securing around half the vote, while Labour won only a little more than a quarter.
But Mr Burnham could benefit from his strong personal following across the North West, where he enjoys a net favourability rating of 24% according to pollster Ipsos – considerably higher than any of the party leaders or the Labour Party itself.
A Survation forecast suggested that with Mr Burnham as a candidate, Labour is more likely to win than Reform UK, but without him, Mr Farage’s party is likely to take the seat.
Candidate selection processes are already under way for Reform UK and the Greens.
On Saturday, Wes Streeting – who quit as health secretary this week but stopped short of triggering a leadership contest – is set to make his first public appearance since he resigned when he speaks at a conference.
Mr Streeting is among those who have backed Mr Burnham’s bid to fight the impending by-election, saying Labour needs “our best players on the pitch”.
Allies of the Ilford North MP have said he would be a candidate in any forthcoming leadership battle.
They added Mr Streeting had made clear in his resignation letter that he wanted a contest to feature “the broadest set of candidates possible”.
If he did not step down, Sir Keir would automatically be on the ballot paper in any Labour leadership race, and Downing Street has continued to insist that he would fight any effort to oust him.
But an unnamed Cabinet minister loyal to Sir Keir described the Prime Minister as much less categorical about his future in private, telling The Telegraph he was keeping “all options” open.
The Times has reported that Sir Keir could approve an £18 billion boost to defence spending next week as he battles to save his premiership.
The Government’s defence investment plan has been long delayed and Defence Secretary John Healey has been pushing privately for a substantial uplift for some time, which he sees as essential to meet the rising threats facing the UK, it is understood.
A Government spokesperson said: “The defence investment plan will deliver the best kit and technology into the hands of our frontline forces at speed, while investing in and growing the UK economy.
“We are working to finalise the plan and it will be published as soon as possible.”
According to the i, Education Secretary Bridget Philipson told BBC Radio 4’s The Week in Westminster programme that Mr Burnham would be a “strong candidate” but said Sir Keir had her “full support”.
“He’s been a great mayor in Greater Manchester. I’ve worked with him really closely on everything from SEND reform to skills, further education, so I know he’ll be a strong candidate in putting himself forward.”
She added: “I’ll be campaigning for whoever the Labour candidate is in the by-election in Makerfield. That’s my responsibility.”
Former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, who stepped down on Tuesday, said to The Times: “It feels very untenable at the moment. He can’t ignore the dissent within his own ranks.. Keir’s got to start making clear his vision for the country. He tried this week, and it didn’t work.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub