Andy Burnham may be too Northern to appeal to the whole country, a leading ally admitted yesterday, putting a dent in his leadership ambitions. Lucy Powell, Labour's deputy leader, backed Mr Burnham's failed bid to return to parliament last month, but stopped short of publicly endorsing him to succeed Keir Starmer.
Ms Powell said the public would see a lot more of the Greater Manchester mayor with Sir Keir in the coming weeks and months, despite his return to Westminster politics being blocked by the Prime Minister. She praised his record as a champion of his city and the wider North, but said that the qualities he showed in the role might not translate as well if he was running the whole country.
Mr Burnham's application to stand in Gorton and Denton on February 26, which was rejected last month by Labour's National Executive Committee, was widely seen as a precursor to challenging Sir Keir for the Labour leadership. Ms Powell said on LBC radio that Sir Keir would end this week stronger than he started it, despite becoming embroiled in a major row over links between Labour figures and convicted paedophiles.
Her intervention came as speculation continued to swirl around Sir Keir's leadership. Ed Miliband admitted this week that the PM had faced a 'moment of peril' on Monday when Labour MPs and ministers 'looked over the precipice' of ditching him before eventually rallying round. The wobble came after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for the PM to quit after overseeing 'too many mistakes' in office.
Armed Forces minister Al Carns, a former Special Forces officer, has told friends he is interested in being PM, despite only entering parliament in 2024. Wes Streeting was forced to deny fresh reports that he is plotting to oust Sir Keir in the coming weeks. A More in Common poll found that voters think Sir Keir should resign by a margin of 48:18, with even 42 per cent of Labour voters believing it would be good for the country if the PM stood down this year.
