Andy Burnham has drawn the battle lines for the future of the Labour party, promising to “change Labour” and win back voters the party has lost. The Greater Manchester mayor, expected to be Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield byelection, said the campaign would be about national issues where Labour is failing, in a direct challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Burnham said: “If I get to stand, a vote for me will be a vote to change Labour, because Labour needs to change if we are to regain people’s trust.” He pledged to make the basics of life more affordable, including rents, bills and fares. Allies said he would use the byelection to set out his economic agenda and rule out an imminent return to the EU, while recommitting to fiscal rules on borrowing and debt.
Starmer, however, made clear he intends to fight the next election and would not step aside if Burnham wins. “I’m not going to walk away,” Starmer told staff at Labour HQ, urging them to get “100% behind” the party in Makerfield, where Labour faces a strong challenge from Reform UK. The byelection date is expected to be confirmed on Tuesday, after Josh Simons formally resigned his seat.
Burnham also sought to close down a damaging row over Europe, saying he did not want to restart debate about EU membership. “My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is rerun those arguments,” he said, a direct challenge to leadership rival Wes Streeting, who has called for rejoining.
In a speech to the Great North Investment Summit, Burnham said: “I know what my party has offered in the past has simply not been good enough. The loss of faith of voters across the north, so many of whom once saw us as their natural party, is our fault and nobody else’s.” He apologised to residents of Makerfield for the “circus” but hoped the spotlight would finally fall on forgotten communities.
