Andy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, is reportedly planning a return to Westminster within weeks in a bid to challenge Sir Keir Starmer, according to reports from The Guardian.
By-election strategy
The newspaper reports that Mr Burnham has identified several seats where MPs are prepared to step aside, triggering a by-election that could pave the way for his return to Parliament. His supporters are said to be attempting to avoid a formal leadership challenge against the Prime Minister, instead hoping to kickstart a process for Sir Keir to stand down after what are expected to be disastrous results for Labour in the May 7 elections.
Previous setback
Mr Burnham was earlier this year blocked by Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election, after the previous MP Andrew Gwynne stood down citing health reasons. The NEC cited concerns about the costs of running a new Manchester mayoral election and fears that Reform could take the mayoralty as reasons for blocking Mr Burnham.
He is now reported to be lining up an “impressive” candidate to replace him as mayor, who The Guardian said was not a sitting MP.
Policy platform
Mr Burnham, who served as health secretary in Gordon Brown’s government, is also said to be preparing a progressive policy platform for government. Constituencies across Merseyside and Greater Manchester are reportedly among those where MPs are prepared to stand aside for him.
Reactions
Earlier this week, Labour MP for Bootle Peter Dowd rejected suggestions he was preparing to make way for Mr Burnham. Meanwhile, Housing Secretary Steve Reed warned it would be “madness” for Labour to consider ousting Sir Keir. “Loyalty in politics is a very important commodity,” he told The Times. “If you are fighting each other then you are not fighting the common enemy. The common enemy here is the cost-of-living crisis, the lack of investment coming into our country, the fate of our high streets. We are always better as a party when we face outwards… when we turn in on ourselves, we’re basically telling the British public that we’re making ourselves irrelevant.”
