Sir Keir Starmer and his chief of employees Morgan McSweeney would block Andy Burnham from getting on the shortlist of potential candidates for a parliamentary seat, scuppering any potential management problem, a senior minister has claimed.
The Greater Manchester mayor has been accused privately by allies of “overplaying his hand” in positioning himself as a possible substitute for Sir Keir as chief of the Labour Party.
Despite a YouGov ballot of Labour voters suggesting he could be a extra in style prime minister than Sir Keir, by 33 factors to twenty-eight, his hopes that the celebration convention in Liverpool could be a launchpad for any management bid fell flat this week.
He left earlier than Sir Keir’s speech started, claiming he didn’t need to upstage the prime minister, and even withdrew from a fringe assembly the place he was attributable to share a platform with insurgent Labour MPs.
But, even when the groundswell of help had given him momentum, he would wish to return to Westminster as an MP by way of a by-election with a purpose to have a shot on the management.
However, figuring out the chance and Mr Burnham’s plans, Sir Keir and Mr McSweeney – who management who will get on shortlists for by-election candidates – would act to cease him, it’s being speculated.
The minister, who’s an ally of Mr Burnham, instructed The Independent: “Keir and Morgan wouldn’t even let him get on the shortlist to be a candidate. They would block him. There’s no way he’s getting back into parliament.”
But the Manchester mayor’s manoeuvres have uncovered discontent amongst senior figures within the authorities over whether or not Sir Keir and his internal circle, together with Mr McSweeney, are the precise individuals to beat Reform.
“The problem is that we are being run by technocrats when we need warriors,” one minister famous.
The elections in May – with the Scottish and Welsh parliaments and London councils all up for grabs – at the moment are being considered “the hard deadline” for the prime minister to show himself, and a foul set of outcomes for Labour may see the prime minister dealing with critical challenges to his place.
There was additionally a sense that politicians from exterior the Westminster bubble, who symbolize areas, are “constantly being told to get back into your box”.
They added: “That breeds resentment, and Andy [Burnham] has very much tapped into that.”
The course of by which candidates are chosen runs by way of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party.
Ministers imagine that Sir Keir and his chief of employees Mr McSweeney “have a grip on the NEC” and may “effectively pick and choose candidates”.
A senior minister advised that Mr Burnham’s identify coming to the fore was “a proxy for a wider discussion”.
“There is a real debate going on about what Labour stands for and our values and I think Andy has become a proxy for a wider discussion.”
Another advised that the Manchester mayor had “made himself look silly”.
The prime minister, although, regarded extra assured than he has performed at any time throughout his first 15 months in workplace.
He was noticeably seen within the Labour convention, mixing with delegates and others within the bar space and restaurant in a extremely uncommon transfer.
One MP stated: “You will see a lot of that. He was also seen a lot in the tea rooms just before recess, which we hadn’t seen before. It’s because he is in trouble.”
But whereas he had an excellent convention, one cupboard minister advised that he nonetheless has to get by way of a really tough Budget in November and doubtlessly catastrophic elections in Wales, Scotland and English native authorities subsequent May.
“Keir needs to be less worried about Andy [Burnham] and this conference and more what might happen to him in June or July next year,” the minister famous.
The Independent has contacted Labour for remark.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-labour-leader-keir-starmer-b2837277.html