Andy Burnham blasts 'divisive' Keir Starmer in hint at leadership bid
The Labour mayor for Greater Manchester refused to rule out returning to Westminster to challenge the PM
Andy Burnham has blasted “divisive” Sir Keir Starmer ahead of the upcoming Labour conference as speculation about a power struggle between the Prime Minister and the metro mayor continues to swirl.
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The Labour mayor for Greater Manchester argued the party is being led in a “very factional and quite divisive” way as he hinted at a potential leadership bid amid growing pressure on Sir Keir.
Mr Burnham added that the party should consider a policy of “rolling back the 1980s” by bringing housing, energy and water companies back under public ownership to ease the cost-of-living crisis and win votes.
“To me, the issue of the conference is not who is the deputy leader of the party, who is the leader of the Labour Party. The issue for the conference is: where is our plan to turn the country around?
Read more: Burnham says Labour 'needs change' as rumours swirl about potential leadership bid
“This kind of challenge we’ve got in front of us cannot be met by a very factional and quite divisive running of the Labour Party,” he told The New Statesman.
He did not rule out returning to Westminster as rumours swirl that he could stand down from his current post early to take a stab at challenging Sir Keir in a leadership contest.
“If you’re asking me, am I attracted to going back into my old world and the old way of doing things in Westminster with minimal change, well no, I wouldn’t find that attractive,” he said.
He added: “[But] am I ready to work with anybody who wants to sort of put in place a plan to turn the country around? I’m happy to play any role. I am ready to play any role in that. Yes. Because the threat we’re facing is increasingly an existential one.”
It comes amid speculation that Mr Burnham will use the weekend’s party conference in Liverpool to capitalise on the backing of rebel MPs and make an official leadership pitch.
He is expected to call for a "reset" to help Labour win the next election and continue to criticise Sir Keir’s record in power.
Earlier this month, he launched a new campaign group calling on the Government to tax wealth, nationalise utility companies, and end the two-child benefit cap.
“Public control is everything,” he said, adding that “the basics of life” should not be privately owned.
“It’s the plan that matters most, rather than me,” Mr Burnham continued.
Mr Burnham has been backed by a string of rebel MPs who claim "this administration is coming to an end" and that the Manchester mayor can bring much-needed "fresh thinking" to the party.
"He [Mr Burnham] really does represent what the Labour Party is about. He's not only demonstrated that across Manchester but the leadership he does give on many issues, I think that's the kind of leadership we need at this time," a rebel MP told the Telegraph.
Who is Andy Burnham?
The 55-year-old is a long-time figure within the Labour party, having been MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester from 2001 to 2017.
Since May 2017, he has been Mayor of Greater Manchester - winning that election, and two subsequent votes in 2021 and 2024.
His achievements in the role include bringing the bus network under local government control, moving forward with a £300m housing fund, and launching the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate education path.
Mr Burnham is considered to be “soft left” within the party, meaning he would perhaps be aligned to the ideologies of Tony Blair or Gordon Brown - and more socialist than Sir Keir. Indeed, the pair have not always seen eye-to-eye, and now Mr Burnham has gone a step further by launching Mainstream, a network of members who are pushing for more socialist policies.