Burnham refuses to rule out challenging for Labour leadership

Andy Burnham has refused to rule out challenging Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party.

Facing repeated questions on the issue, the mayor of Greater Manchester repeatedly deflected and said he was not in a position to rule out a move against the Prime Minister.

On BBC Breakfast he appeared frustrated at being pressed on his leadership ambitions, suggesting this type of question could be part of the problem with the culture in Westminster.

Asked whether he would rule out a challenge to Sir Keir, he said: “I am not going to sit here this morning and rule out what might or might not happen because I don’t know what the future will hold.”

When pressed again on a potential leadership challenge, Mr Burnham said: “I am not in a position this morning to do that.

“The questions you are always asked on these things – how do you answer them?

He added: “All I can do is be here, present in the here and now, and do my job for Greater Manchester.

“The country is crying out for a plan for growth that benefits people, reduces the cost of living.

“We have got more functional in Greater Manchester as the country has got more dysfunctional, and maybe it is that Westminster politics is the problem, and the type of questions you have been putting at me.”

Mr Burnham has also said he “appreciates the support” of Labour MP Clive Lewis, who said he would be willing to give up his parliamentary seat to allow him to mount a leadership challenge.

Asked about it on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Burnham said: “I appreciate the support, but I couldn’t have brought forward a plan of the kind that I brought forward today without being fully focused on my role of mayor of Greater Manchester.

“I’m providing leadership on growth, which is what I think the country needs and is helpful to the Government right now, and we’re doing this in advance of the Budget.

“I hope to really bring to life the growth story for the Government.

“I would just finish by saying this, what I think part of the country’s problem is, the political culture of Westminster, which is playing out in front of us right now.

“In Greater Manchester, we’ve built a new economy and a new way of doing politics and more of that is what the country needs.”

Mr Burnham has been touted as a possible successor to the Prime Minister, but would need to return to the Commons to launch a bid for the top job.

The former New Labour minister and ex-MP for Leigh dropped repeated hints he was eyeing a Westminster comeback ahead of Labour’s September conference.

Last week’s extraordinary Labour briefing war over alleged manoeuvring by Cabinet ministers focused fresh attention on Sir Keir’s position.

On Wednesday, backbencher Mr Lewis indicated he could vacate his Norwich South seat for Mr Burnham.

Government minister Josh MacAlister dismissed Mr Lewis’s offer.

He told LBC Radio: “The Labour Party is a broad church. It’s not going to surprise anybody to know that Clive is critical of the party’s leadership.”

He added that Mr Lewis’s Norwich South seat is “a long way away from Manchester”.

Mr MacAlister said: “The Prime Minister has only recently become Prime Minister, he is the leader of our party, he secured a historic victory.”

He suggested Sir Keir is focused on getting the UK out of the economic “doom loop” it has been in for years.