Andy Burnham has given an update on speculation he will challenge Keir Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party.
Andy Burnham has given an update on speculation he will challenge Keir Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party.
Rumours have been swirling that the mayor is being lined up to take over as Prime Minister in the face of opinion polls putting Reform nine points ahead of Labour.
He fuelled the talk in a New Statesman interview published earlier this week by criticising the government’s approach, saying the party needs to find ‘our plan to turn the country around’.
Speculation intensified as Mr Burnham confirmed in a Telegraph interview on Wednesday (September 24) that he was approached by Labour MPs about succeeding Keir Starmer over the summer.
But the morning after the interview, the mayor has clarified his comments and said he is ‘ready to support the Prime Minister and the government’.
“I was asked a direct question by a journalist and I gave and gave an honest answer,” he told BBC Radio Manchester. “That has been reported today.
“MPs were in touch with me, but let me also give an honest explanation of what I said to those MPs. It’s not up to me. It’s not my decision. That’s a matter for you and the party in Parliament.”
While he said he has ‘no intention of abandoning what we are trying to build’ in Greater Manchester, he also re-iterated the government’s approach to winning over voters.
“We need a proper plan for the country and a proper plan to beat Reform,” he told listeners. “That’s the issue you have to get into. It’s the issue Labour Conference should be completely focused on.
“That’s where we are this morning. I did say in the interview that I am ready to support the Prime Minister and the government in getting that plan.”
Mr Burnham said he will limit public appearances at the party’s conference, to be held in Liverpool from Sunday, in an effort to avoid stepping on the cabinet’s toes as party bosses try to reset the government following Angela Rayner’s resignation and a major ministerial reshuffle.
It was thought the headline announcement in Keir Starmer’s speech would be an official announcement that a new Liverpool-Manchester railway line, stopping via Warrington and Manchester Airport, will go ahead.
However, reports suggest the announcement has been delayed beyond conference, something the mayor called ‘not the plan we need’.
Two men arrested on suspicion of murder after man dies following balcony fall in Salford
Rochdale Youth Council leader Daniel Murphy announces immediate resignation
Wardle man lends his voice to poetry trail about recovery
East Lancashire Railway launches Christmas card competition for children
Police appeal for witnesses following death of man in Bury
Drug dealer jailed after being shot by police during Whitefield arrest
Edgar Wood Academy celebrates first GCSE results
Simister Island overnight closures planned
Major travel warning issued for Manchester city centre ahead of Pride weekend
Energy Secretary responds to Ofgem's £60 a year energy price cap increase
The Margaret Haes Riding Centre celebrates 60th anniversary
Rochdale mum passes GCSEs at 40 and secures place on teacher training course
Comments
Add a comment