Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham dismissed rumors of a potential challenge to Labour leader Keir Starmer, aiming to clarify his position after a week of openly critiquing the UK government’s leadership.
In an interview with the New Statesman last week, Burnham sparked tensions within Labour by advocating for more radical policies, including greater public control over housing, transport, and utilities. His comments coincided with Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, prompting speculation that he was positioning himself for a leadership bid—an ambition he has previously pursued unsuccessfully.
On Monday, Burnham sought to quell these rumors, emphasizing his commitment to his current role and acknowledging that he does not meet a critical requirement for leadership: holding a seat in the House of Commons. “I can’t launch a leadership campaign; I’m not in Parliament,” he stated on the Guardian’s Politics Weekly podcast. “The thing that I’m doing is putting forward ideas that, in any scenario, whoever is the leader, I think Labour needs to take on board.”
According to a YouGov poll published by Sky News, over 60% of Labour members would prefer Burnham to lead the party, compared to 29% who support Starmer. This survey, conducted last week with 702 Labour members, also revealed that approximately one-third no longer view Starmer as an effective prime minister.
Burnham, who served as an MP for 16 years before becoming Mayor of Manchester, characterized his current position as “the best job politics can offer,” expressing his satisfaction with the role. He also expressed sympathy for Starmer, who has recorded the lowest approval ratings for any UK Prime Minister in a series by Ipsos dating back to 1977. “I think it is unfair, because of the scale of what he and the government inherited,” Burnham remarked. “It was a harder inheritance than I think any government has had in our lifetime.”
He noted that while Labour has made progress in its first 15 months in power, the party must now transform those achievements into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
Additionally, Burnham addressed a report suggesting he had proposed an increase in government borrowing by £40 billion to facilitate the construction of more council homes. He clarified that he referenced £39 billion already allocated for housing and advocated for its full allocation to council and social housing instead of the currently planned 60%.
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