Highlights
- Angela Rayner expected to return to Cabinet under Burnham
- Burnham must first win the Makerfield by-election on June 18
- Allies forming cross-party council to block a Reform UK government
ANDY BURNHAM is weighing up whether to call a snap general election if he becomes prime minister, according to Labour insiders cited by the Sun.
The Greater Manchester mayor is said to be drawing up early plans for how he would govern, with talks already under way between his team and that of home secretary Shabana Mahmood over a possible move to the Treasury. Burnham is reportedly considering making Mahmood his chancellor, the newspaper report added.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who was cleared earlier this month of deliberate wrongdoing over her tax affairs, is also expected to be brought back into the Cabinet should Burnham succeed Sir Keir Starmer. Reuters, which reported the story, said it could not immediately verify the claims, and that Burnham, Rayner and Mahmood had not responded to requests for comment.
Starmer's position has grown increasingly fragile following a poor set of local election results in May, which triggered calls from a significant number of Labour MPs for him to stand down. Many of those MPs are now looking to Burnham as the figure most likely to revive the party's fortunes.
Makerfield by-election results crucial
However, Burnham cannot launch any formal leadership challenge until he holds a seat in Parliament. He is expected to stand in the Makerfield by-election on June 18, near his Manchester base, though Sky News has reported he faces roughly a 55 per cent chance of losing the seat.
Separately, Sky News report said that Burnham allies are setting up a cross-party "council for the progressive majority," organised by the centre-left thinktank Compass.
The council would bring together two senior figures from each of Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the SNP and Plaid Cymru, with the aim of coordinating strategy, including possible electoral pacts, to prevent Reform UK from winning the next general election.
Compass founder Neal Lawson said Britain had moved from a two-party system into "a two-bloc system, with up to seven political parties holding power," and argued that closer collaboration between progressive parties was now essential.
Meanwhile, some Labour MPs on the moderate wing have raised concerns about working alongside the Greens, who have faced recent allegations of antisemitism. Others within the Green Party have also pushed back, arguing their role is to challenge Labour rather than support it.
Appointments to the council are expected to be confirmed by the end of the summer.
(with inputs from Reuters)
