Sir Keir Starmer is going through recent humiliation with allies of Andy Burnham claiming they’re on the point of securing a Commons seat for an audacious management coup. The Greater Manchester Mayor, lengthy considered as Sir Keir’s chief rival and dubbed the “King of the North”, has overtly signalled his nationwide ambitions.
In a current ITV News interview, Mr Burnham stated that if “the call came” for an even bigger position, “I’m not going to turn away from it”. To mount a management bid, Mr Burnham must return to Parliament – a step his supporters insist is now imminent amid Labour’s plunging polls and Reform UK’s surge.
The Mail on Sunday stories that Mr Burnham’s strategists have drawn up a shortlist of North West seats, together with Gorton and Denton, presently held by suspended MP Andrew Gwynne.
Gwynne has sat as an unbiased since February 2025, following revelations of racist and sexist WhatsApp messages. He denies any plan to face down for Mr Burnham, and no resignation has been introduced.
A Labour MP backing Mr Burnham advised the paper: “It’s happening. We are on the brink of securing a seat which is likely to come free shortly and where the polls say Andy would beat Reform.”
Sir Keir may block Mr Burnham’s choice by way of the social gathering’s National Executive Committee, however sources say this may be seen as a dangerous admission of weak spot.
The alleged timeline entails a by-election earlier than or alongside May 2026 native elections, broadly anticipated to ship heavy Labour losses and set off a full management disaster.
Other potential challengers embody Health Secretary Wes Streeting, accused of criticising the Government’s “technocratic” model, and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who stays in touch with Mr Burnham’s camp and is rumoured to contemplate a joint ticket.
Mr Burnham’s place has been strengthened by the election of his ally, Lucy Powell, as deputy chief, though she publicly referred to as for social gathering unity behind Sir Keir.
Reform UK chief Nigel Farage has warned of an “epic battle” in any northern by-election, given his social gathering’s sturdy polling within the area.
Labour presently trails Reform by double digits nationally, fuelling backbench panic over prospects of electoral catastrophe.
Sir Keir has dismissed management hypothesis as a distraction, whereas praising Mr Burnham’s mayoral report.
Yet the persistent claims underscore deepening divisions simply 18 months into the Government’s time period.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2146004/keir-starmer-andy-burnham-labour-leadership