Labour veteran Alan Johnson has said he would tell Sir Keir Starmer 'it's over', as the embattled Prime Minister tries to cling on to power following Andy Burnham's storming win in the Makerfield by-election. The result has left Sir Keir's position looking increasingly perilous, with growing calls for him to announce a timetable for his departure from 10 Downing Street.
Pressure Mounts on Starmer
The Manchester Evening News revealed that allies of Mr Burnham believe Labour could lose the mayoralty if Sir Keir does not outline plans to step down. However, the PM has publicly vowed to fight for his job, telling reporters and Labour members on Friday (June 19) that he would not 'walk away'. Asked what he would tell Sir Keir, Mr Johnson - who served multiple cabinet roles in the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown governments including home secretary - gave a crushing response.
He told LBC: 'I'd say it's over, Keir. And listen, he's a bright guy. He knows it's over. He will forever be in the history books as the man who turned us around, Labour, from the second-worst result in our history to the second best result in our history in one five-year period.'
Cabinet Ministers Advise Timetable
It is believed Sir Keir spoke to a number of cabinet ministers on Friday, with some understood to have advised the PM to set out a timetable for his departure. Mr Burnham's team is understood to be willing to accept a timetable, announced in the coming days, that would see Sir Keir leave Downing Street in September. But another Labour veteran from the Blair-Brown years has urged the party to move faster.
Baroness Harriet Harman, who was recently appointed the PM's advisor on women and girls, told Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction podcast that ministers could not be left 'in a state of paralysis all through the summer'. Former transport secretary Louise Haigh, one of Mr Burnham's supporters, said on Friday: 'We really hope that this can be a managed and orderly transition and Keir Starmer will reflect on the results, and Andy and Keir can meet in the coming days, and over the next week, and agree a path forward.'
Starmer Urges Unity
The PM had urged the Labour Party to 'pull together' and focus on beating Reform in the Greater Manchester mayoralty on July 30. He told Labour staffers: 'It's really important, it's a huge by-election, one of the biggest by-elections we'll ever run. It is really important that we maintain that Labour mayoralty, and that we take Reform on.' Labour is describing the contest as a 'two-horse race' between the two parties. Meanwhile, the Green Party has also described the contest as a battle between itself and Reform, rather than Labour - with the party expected to announce its candidate later today (Saturday).
