Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has a credible plan to return to Westminster “within weeks”, his allies have said, with the Labour figure expected to use a byelection fight to set out a new agenda for government. Burnham, who was blocked by Labour’s ruling body from running in February’s Gorton and Denton byelection, has identified several seats where MPs are prepared to step aside for his leadership bid.
In a sign that his campaign is more progressed than previously thought, Burnham’s team is understood to have lined up an “impressive” candidate to replace him as Greater Manchester mayor. Allies said he planned to outline a “radical rewiring” of the state in the coming weeks – including sweeping changes to the electoral system and a 10-year growth plan – after a potentially devastating set of elections on 7 May that could end Keir Starmer’s premiership.
After a fortnight that left Starmer fighting for his political future over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, the number of MPs backing Burnham is understood to have grown to far more than the 80 required to challenge the prime minister. However, his supporters said they hoped to avoid a formal leadership challenge and to engineer a process where Starmer would set out a timetable to stand down soon after next week’s votes.
MPs have discussed the possibility of Burnham offering Starmer the chance to stay on as foreign secretary. Ed Miliband and Angela Rayner, another leadership rival, are expected to be offered top jobs in a Burnham government. Burnham, who has made a series of policy speeches at ideologically aligned thinktanks in recent weeks, is said to be preparing an explicit programme for government that would be announced at a prospective parliamentary byelection campaign.
Pledges backed by Burnham include introducing proportional representation across the UK, a 10-year plan for local services and an overhaul of inheritance tax to pay for the social care system. It is understood that an “impressive” candidate, who is not a sitting MP, has been lined up to contest the mayoral election that would be triggered if he is allowed to stand for a parliamentary seat. Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester city council, is seen as the frontrunner and has not ruled herself out of a contest.
One Burnham ally said: “He’s just so obviously the person best placed to turn the Labour party around. He has popularity in terms of polling, in terms of personality and a plan – that will become more evident the other side of 7 May.” However, some allies of Burnham are believed to have been attempting to convince union general secretaries to change their views, with Unison the key target. Others, such as GMB, have ruled out supporting Burnham because of his closeness with Miliband.
