Chancellor Rachel Reeves has issued a pointed public plea to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, urging him to stay in the north west and serve out his full term in office until 2028. The intervention comes as Mr Burnham continues to be linked with a potential attempt to depose Labour leader and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
A Clear Warning from the Chancellor
In a media interview with Channel 4 News, Ms Reeves suggested the former Labour cabinet minister should honour the commitment he made when he stood for mayor. She stated: 'He said that when he stood for mayor that he would serve a full term - and I think that is the right thing to do.' Her remarks are widely seen as a clear warning to Mr Burnham and his allies on Labour's soft left to remain in their current political lane and avoid destabilising the party leadership.
Despite twice failing to be elected Labour leader before leaving the House of Commons for local politics, Mr Burnham has repeatedly refused to rule out a future bid for Sir Keir's job. Polls have indicated he is the favourite among voters, if not necessarily party members, to succeed the Prime Minister should a vacancy arise.
Burnham's Westminster Ambitions and Seat Hunt
The political manoeuvring intensified after The Mail on Sunday reported that Commons allies of the mayor had identified a seat 'likely to come free' in the coming months. Strategists working for Mr Burnham are understood to have drawn up a shortlist of target seats in the North West. One potential constituency is the Greater Manchester seat held by former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who has been suspended from the party since February following revelations he sent offensive WhatsApp messages.
On Saturday, a Labour MP backing Mr Burnham claimed: 'It's happening. We are on the brink of securing a seat which is likely to come free shortly and where the polls say Andy would beat Reform.' Under the speculated plan, the mayor would apply for selection in a seat vacated for him, with a by-election held on or before the local and devolved elections in May 2025.
Starmer's Precarious Position and Counter-Strategy
Those May elections are anticipated to be deeply challenging for Labour, potentially triggering a leadership challenge within weeks of the results. However, Sir Keir's team is believed to be planning a counter-move. Downing Street is reportedly lining up the State Opening of Parliament for May 12 or 13 – less than a week after the polls – where a King's Speech would set out the government's agenda for the year ahead.
A government source told the BBC this would blunt any backlash, stating: 'It will be much harder for somebody to challenge the PM and say we need to go in a different direction when the King is about to come to parliament to announce what we're doing for the next year.' While the Prime Minister could technically block Mr Burnham's selection via the party's National Executive Committee (NEC), such a move would be viewed as a humiliating admission of weakness.
Ms Reeves reinforced her message by drawing a parallel with her own commitments, adding: 'Every election I commit to being a Parliamentarian, to being an MP for that Parliament. And that's the commitment that Andy's made to the people of Greater Manchester as well.' Downing Street has refused to comment on what it calls 'speculation', stating the date for the King's Speech will be announced 'in the normal way'.
