There will be a contest to replace the Makerfield MP next month, paving the way for a potential return to Parliament for Andy Burnham.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham (Image: Getty)
Allies of Andy Burnham have claimed that Downing Street is involved in a plot to derail his hopes of returning to parliament.
They are concerned that MPs will not be mandated to campaign for him in the Makerfield by-election despite the Labour leadership “soft-playing” support, it has been reported.
Some Labour backbenchers believe that the party does not stand a chance in the race, where Reform recently won almost all the council seats. A source close to Sir Keir told the Independent that if Mr Burnham wins in Makerfield, “then he will almost certainly become prime minister” – which suggests Sir Keir’s only chance of clinging on to power is for Mr Burnham to lose.
Sir Keir could also make Mr Burnham’s bid for the top job more difficult by pledging to rejoin the EU.
The PM’s team is said to have privately sounded out senior Labour figures, including local government leaders in Red Wall areas, about the prospect of rejoining the bloc.
The Telegraph reported that internally, talking up EU membership is seen as a potential way to take on the Greens. However, it could hurt Labour’s chances of winning in remain-supporting areas such as Makerfield, which voted 65% leave in 2016.
Mr Burnham said he was not proposing the UK rejoining the European Union as he warned against getting stuck in a “permanent rut” of Brexit arguments.
The Greater Manchester Mayor said Brexit had been “damaging” but “the last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments”.
But Mr Burnham has previously said he would like to see the UK back in the EU within his lifetime.
If he returns to the House of Commons he could seek to challenge Sir Keir Starmer, with Brexit likely to be a key issue in any leadership contest.
But first he has to win the Leave-voting Makerfield seat and he sought to play down the prospect of reversing the 2016 Brexit referendum.