Allies of Andy Burnham have cautioned against a rapid succession to Wes Streeting as Labour leader, urging the party’s ruling body to allow the Greater Manchester mayor to contest a parliamentary byelection. The warning comes as Keir Starmer faces mounting calls to resign after poor local and devolved election results.
However, Burnham’s hopes of returning to Westminster suffered a setback when Marie Rimmer, MP for St Helens South and Whiston, said she would not stand down to create a vacancy. Rimmer, who has been an MP since 2015, stated she had not spoken to Burnham in years and that her priority was avoiding the chaos of a leadership contest.
Sources close to Burnham had suggested Rimmer’s seat as a potential option for him to fight a byelection. But Rimmer insisted: “I’m not planning to stand down for anybody. I was selected by my constituency party and it’s my constituency party who decides who stands.” She added that she believes Starmer should remain as prime minister, saying a leadership change would create “chaos” and make Labour “look like the Tories”.
Neal Lawson, a close Burnham ally and director of Compass, wrote in the Guardian that the Labour NEC must ensure Burnham can stand for any vacancy. Another ally expressed frustration at what they perceived as attempts by Streeting to engineer a rapid succession, stating: “We can’t afford a coronation from Keir to Wes… that’s not going to cut it with the country.”
NEC sources indicated that the officers’ group could change its stance if there is a clear question over political authority, but a byelection would need to be called first. Over 80 MPs have called on Starmer to quit, many supporting Burnham.
