Conservative MP Esther McVey has revealed that Andy Burnham and his team are preparing an election plot to destroy the right of British politics, according to leaked information from his inner circle. Speaking on the Daily Expresso, McVey detailed a strategy aimed at crushing the right-wing parties in a future general election.
Burnham's rise to leadership
Andy Burnham, the soft-left Labour MP for Makerfield, was sworn into parliament on Monday and is widely expected to replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister following his resignation. With a lack of challengers, Burnham is likely to assume the Labour leadership without a formal election, as several high-profile party members have already declared they will not stand.
McVey's warning
McVey expressed scepticism that Burnham could transform Labour's dire poll ratings despite his personal popularity. She said: "But there's two things, and this is what I hear from his team, from Andy Burnham's team, and some who were close to him. Their point of reference is Brown bottling it and not winning. The conservative point of reference is Theresa May calling it when she shouldn't. So they're saying, oh, he should and he would win."
She added: "Now the odds are he's not gonna get any more than 170 MPs, which they've got a massive majority. So it's a lot he's given up. He could be a prime minister for three years, but he's going to go."
The plot to destroy the right
McVey warned that Burnham has a plan to destroy the right of British politics. She said: "Now this is a darker side, which I'm hearing from the far left. Of which, you know, Andy Burnham does oscillate. He was a Corbynista. He was Corbynite. He supports him, right? And they're saying, we think now is the time to crush the right. They see Reform faltering in the polls. They see the conservatives doing better under Kemi Badenoch's leadership, but not good enough. A split in the right with Rupert Lowe as well, and Restore. So they think now's the time."
Burnham's political background
Little is known of Burnham's approach to government. The former Health Secretary has adapted his politics to serve under three markedly different Labour leaders — Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and Jeremy Corbyn. His past as a Corbyn supporter has raised concerns among some Conservatives about his potential policies.
