Wes Streeting is preparing for a potential Labour leadership contest against Andy Burnham, even as he supports Burnham's bid to return to Westminster through a by-election that could challenge Sir Keir Starmer's premiership. The former health secretary argued that the mayor of Greater Manchester should be allowed to stand in the upcoming Makerfield race, stating that Labour needs "our best players on the pitch."
Streeting's Leadership Ambitions
Despite backing his rival, allies of Streeting told The Independent that he would stand as a candidate in any leadership contest. In a social media post on Friday, Streeting wrote: "The Makerfield by-election will be tough. Votes will need to be earned. Andy is the best chance of winning and that should override factional advantage or propping up one person." Allies later confirmed: "Wes will be a candidate when the contest comes."
Streeting ended days of speculation by resigning from the Cabinet on Thursday, stating he had "lost confidence" in the prime minister and calling for a leadership contest. He will deliver his first speech as a backbencher on Saturday at the Progress conference, widely seen as his initial leadership pitch to voters.
Burnham's Path to Westminster
Josh Simons, a former ally of Sir Keir who recently resigned as a minister, stunned colleagues by stepping down as an MP on Thursday to allow Burnham to stand in his Makerfield seat, paving the way for a challenge to the prime minister. Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner revealed that her tax affairs had been resolved with HMRC, a potential stumbling block for a leadership bid, but she later suggested she might back Burnham instead of running herself.
However, Burnham's return to Westminster is far from straightforward. Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) must decide whether to approve him as a candidate. If the committee, expected to meet tomorrow, does approve him, he faces a tough fight against Reform UK, which came second in the seat at the previous general election and made significant gains in the area during last week's local elections.
Labour's Internal Dynamics
Speaking at the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) conference on Friday, Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell said there would be "absolutely no attempt" to block Burnham from standing. "We've got to do our politics differently. We've got to end the factionalism. We've got to embrace all the different traditions of the Labour Party, all the different voices, and bring one team back together, and that means having Andy Burnham as a key player in that team," she said. Powell also appealed to the FBU for support in the by-election, acknowledging it would be "tough" for Labour to beat Reform.
This month's local elections saw Reform win every council ward in the Makerfield constituency, securing around half the vote, while Labour won only a little more than a quarter. However, Burnham could benefit from his strong personal following across the North West, where he enjoys a net favourability rating of 24 per cent according to pollster Ipsos, considerably higher than any party leader or the Labour Party itself.
Challenges Ahead
Speaking to BBC Manchester on Friday, Simons acknowledged the contest would be "a really, really, really tough fight," adding he did not know what the result would be. "Sometimes in history, when people take risks and they say, 'I think this is the right fight to have, but I don't know if we're going to win it', that's what changes the story. That's what changes the course of things." The election could also prove expensive, as a victory for Burnham would trigger another by-election for the Greater Manchester mayoralty. A by-election in Makerfield alone could cost the taxpayer up to £226,000, while the cost of a mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester would run into the millions, with the 2024 mayoral race costing the taxpayer £4.7m.
