Burnham 'has found Manchester seat' to allow him to challenge Starmer for Downing Street
Andy Burnham has found a Labour MP willing to stand down to allow him to return to the Commons and challenge Sir Keir Starmer to become Prime Minister.
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The Times has reported that Afzal Khan, the MP for Manchester Rusholme, is open to standing down in order to allow the Mayor of Greater Manchester to return to Westminster.
It comes as Wes Streeting resigned from government on Thursday, noting his lack of confidence in the PM - despite insisting he would not trigger a leadership battle.
Burnham's bid for PM could now see him face down the former health secretary, with Mr Khan reportedly willing to step aside for the Greater Manchester mayor.
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Burnham has been seeking a Commons seat for months - and was blocked from standing as Labour's candidate in the Gorton & Denton by-election in February.
Should he successfully return in time, Mr Burnham would be the favourite to succeed Sir Keir in Downing Street.
Standing in his way are Labour's governing National Executive Committee (NEC), which blocked him from becoming Labour's candidate for Gorton & Denton.
The mayor's allies have told the Times that they are close to securing a majority of support for his candidacy on the committee.
Burnham is said to be the preferred candidate of the party's so-called "soft left" - with both energy secretary Ed Miliband and ex-deputy prime minister Angela Rayner both slated to stand instead if the mayor is unable to find a seat.
The soft-Left faction of Labour is likely to propose former Labour leader Mr Miliband as its candidate, because preferred figures such as Andy Burnham and Ms Rayner have issued blocking them from running.
Ms Rayner has unresolved tax issues, which forced her to stand down from Starmer's Cabinet last year