Senior Labour figures are embroiled in a fresh bout of internal warfare, with claims emerging that Ed Miliband has agreed to support a potential leadership challenge by Andy Burnham on the condition he becomes Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Alleged Leadership Pact
According to reports from Labour MPs to The Mail on Sunday, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will back Andy Burnham's anticipated bid to oust Sir Keir Starmer. The understanding is reportedly based on Miliband being appointed Chancellor if Burnham succeeds. Supporters of the so-called 'King of the North' claim Miliband, who has spearheaded the government's contentious Net Zero agenda, will join Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner on Burnham's campaign team should he formally declare.
This alleged pact forms a central part of what Burnham's allies term a 'shock therapy' plan for the party and the country. Miliband's green energy policies, including the push for wind farms, solar panels, and heat pumps, are estimated to carry a colossal combined cost exceeding £4.5 trillion over 25 years, with households facing an estimated £585 billion to transition from traditional boilers.
Briefing Wars and Seat Speculation
The revelation coincides with an explosive new briefing row centring on Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who is viewed by Burnham's camp as his only credible rival for the leadership. Following reports that Cabinet ministers were urging Sir Keir to sack Streeting for 'disloyalty'—citing Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's pre-emptive dismissal of Robert Jenrick as inspiration—an ally of the Health Secretary hit back fiercely.
The ally stated: 'We have a good story to tell about what the Government achieved this week and it’s baffling that No10 have decided at this moment to try and launch us back into civil war.' They challenged Sir Keir to 'stamp out the toxic briefing culture in No10', labelling it an ongoing problem creating a 'terrible atmosphere'.
Meanwhile, Burnham, currently Mayor of Greater Manchester, is actively seeking a route back to the Commons to enable a challenge. His parliamentary allies claim to have identified a safe Labour seat in the North that will become free in coming months, which polling suggests he would win. While unnamed, it is understood Burnham is monitoring the Manchester seat of Andrew Gwynne, who is currently suspended from the Labour Party.
Denials and Legislative Rebellion
Sources close to Ed Miliband have vehemently denied any deal, dismissing the reports as 'absolute nonsense' and 'categorically not true'. Despite the denial, the story fuels speculation of a major showdown after May's local elections, which current polling indicates could be disastrous for Labour and trigger a challenge to Starmer's authority.
In a separate move highlighting internal dissent, Andy Burnham has been encouraging Labour backbenchers to rebel against the proposed Hillsborough Law. The bill aims to impose a legal duty of truthfulness on public officials but includes an exemption for security services. Burnham has called for the opt-out to be withdrawn, stating that establishing truth is key to strengthening the country's defences.
The Prime Minister now faces a precarious period, managing a simmering leadership plot, a bitter internal briefing war, and a potential backbench rebellion, all while attempting to present a united government front to the public.
