Wednesday, June 17Wednesday, June 176 days · 7 summary articles
Labour’s leadership crisis deepened on Wednesday as Andy Burnham, the Manchester mayor, prepared to press Keir Starmer to set a timetable for his departure following Labour’s loss in the Makerfield byelection, while senior figures in the party warned of a widening rift at the top.
Labour MP Rachael Maskell said she hoped Burnham could become prime minister before the party’s annual conference in September, intensifying pressure on Starmer to step aside after two years in office. Burnham is expected to call Starmer this weekend to demand clarity on his future, but the prime minister has signalled he will delay any conversation until after the weekend, telling Sky News: “I’m sure I’ll talk to Andy after the weekend” .
The Makerfield byelection, held on Tuesday, saw Labour retain the seat but with a sharply reduced majority, underscoring growing discontent within the party over Starmer’s leadership. Burnham, a former Labour cabinet minister, has emerged as a leading figure among critics, with some MPs urging him to mount a leadership challenge before the party’s conference in Liverpool. The Guardian reported that Burnham may struggle to reach Starmer directly, as the prime minister has reportedly avoided taking calls from other senior colleagues, including Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who has been accused of “ghosting” Starmer during a recent dispute over defence spending .
Starmer has sought to pre-empt Burnham’s move by offering him a government post if he wins a parliamentary seat, according to German newspaper *Die Zeit* . The offer, which would bring Burnham into the cabinet, is widely seen as an attempt to neutralise a prominent internal critic. Burnham, who has governed Manchester with a focus on economic growth and devolution, has built a national profile but faces scepticism over whether his city-level success can translate to a national strategy.
The political turbulence comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves confronts mounting fiscal challenges, with a special election in Makerfield threatening to derail her plans for fiscal stability . Meanwhile, speculation is growing that the UK’s relationship with Europe may become a defining issue for a future Labour leader, with Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch arguing that Starmer’s tenure has left the door open for a more assertive approach to Brussels .
With Labour’s polling lead narrowing and internal divisions deepening, the coming weeks will determine whether Starmer can survive the summer or whether Burnham will force a reckoning at the top.
2 further sources not geolocated
British PM hopeful Andy Burnham has become a national figure by bucking economic trends to turbocharge growth in Manchester. But what works for a city is hard to do at scale. 🔗 www.politico.eu/article/andy...
bluesky bot · about 3 hours ago
What will happen in a Manchester mayoral by-election? Andy Burnham is likely to play a large role, whatever the circumstances
new statesman · about 3 hours ago
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nrc · about 3 hours ago
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die zeit · about 3 hours ago
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faz · about 3 hours ago
Labour MP pushes Burnham to launch leadership bid really quickly after Makerfield byelection result – UK politics live Rachael Maskell said she hoped Andy Burnham could become prime minister before the Labour party conference in SeptemberAndy Burnham may have trouble getting through to Keir Starmer if he tries ringing him after the Makerfield byelection to urge him to set a timetable for his departure. Burnham reportedly wants to call Starmer this weekend. (See 9.47am.) But, in his interview with Sky News, Starmer said: Im sure Ill talk to Andy after the weekend.If Starmer declines to take Burnhams call, he may be following Ed Milibands example. In a Times story today, Patrick Maguire and Steven Swinford report:Sir Keir Starmers relationship with Ed Miliband has broken down to such an extent that the energy secretary has been accused of ghosting the prime minister in recent weeks.Senior government sources claimed that Miliband declined to take calls from the prime minister during a tense stand-off over defence spending. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 3 hours ago
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