Cabinet minister Lisa Nandy has hailed Andy Burnham's Makerfield by-election win as "history in the making" as he reportedly plots a tilt at No10. Her warm words to the Greater Manchester Mayor will only fuel speculation that Sir Keir Starmer will try to stave off a leadership bid by offering him a plum job in Government.
Just days before the election it was reported that No10 was considering the move, despite Mr Burnham openly saying he wants the top job for himself. Now Ms Nandy's intervention could fuel further feverish speculation that Mr Burnham may be being lined up for a sensational Cabinet return.
Keir Starmer Breaks Silence as Rival Andy Burnham Threatens His Premiership
Mr Burnham's Makerfield win has been seen as a stepping stone to a full-blown leadership challenge against Sir Keir. It comes just moments after the Mayor stormed to a 9,231 majority over Reform UK in a result that has only deepened the bitter civil war engulfing Labour.
Ms Nandy made little attempt to hide her enthusiasm for Mr Burnham being welcomed back to the top of Government. She said: "What Andy's shown here is that there is something that he brings, a willingness to go out and fight for the change that people need, to take on any system and any person who stands in the way."
She added: "I think that with him back in the top team, at the top table, helping to drive that change, I think we'll be in a really strong position."
Burnham's Victory Speech Hailed as Direct Shot at Prime Minister
In his victory speech, Mr Burnham fired what was widely seen as a direct shot at the Prime Minister. He declared that voters had "made a loud cry for change" when they backed Reform last May. Mr Burnham added: "In this campaign, we have begun to answer that, but I do say to my own party, this is a final chance to change."
The by-election was engineered when Labour MP Josh Simons stood aside just two years into the job, handing the Mayor a route back into Parliament. The result piles yet more pressure on a beleaguered Prime Minister whose authority is seen as already heavily damaged and now draining away by the day.
