EDUCATION SECRETARY Bridget Phillipson became the first Cabinet minister to publicly support Andy Burnham's bid to return to parliament, as the Greater Manchester mayor moves closer to a possible challenge for the Labour leadership.
Phillipson on Saturday (16) told BBC that she had "certainly no intention to stand in the way of Andy being a candidate," adding that he would be "a strong candidate in putting himself forward."
She said she had worked closely with Burnham on education and skills policy and described him as "a great mayor in Greater Manchester."
Her comments came a day after Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) gave Burnham permission to stand as the party's candidate in the Makerfield by-election, expected on June 18. The seat in north-west England became vacant on Thursday (14_ when MP Josh Simons stood down to make way for the mayor.
Burnham, who cannot challenge for the Labour leadership unless he holds a seat in parliament, has said he wants to "change Labour for the better" but has stopped short of explicitly declaring his candidacy for the top job.
His path to Westminster has opened up against the backdrop of the worst crisis of Starmer's premiership. Nearly 100 Labour MPs have publicly called on the prime minister to resign following heavy losses in the May 7 local elections.
Wes Streeting backs Burnham
Among them is former health secretary Wes Streeting, who resigned from the Cabinet on Thursday. Streeting gave his backing to Burnham on Friday (15) for standing in Makerfield.
"We need our best players on the pitch," he said. "There is no doubt that Andy Burnham is one of them."
Starmer's allies have insisted he is considering "all options" but have also argued that the party should not repeat what damaged the Conservatives, changing leaders too quickly.
Steve Reed, one of the prime minister's closest allies in Cabinet, conceded on Friday that Starmer was unpopular but said Labour should resist the same pattern that hurt the Tories.
Burnham's supporters believe he could become prime minister before Labour's autumn conference in Liverpool, though sources close to the mayor say he prefers a longer timeline and is focused on winning the by-election first.
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is expected to fight hard for the seat. At the local elections, Reform won all eight core council wards within the Makerfield constituency boundary, taking seven seats directly from Labour. Reform won roughly half the vote in the area, compared to less than a quarter for Labour.
FILE PHOTO: Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer hosts the first roundtable of regional English mayors with Andy Burnham (R) mayor of Greater Manchester, at Downing Street on July 9, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Analysis by pollster Survation, shared with the Guardian, suggested that with Burnham as the Labour candidate, the party would narrowly beat Reform by 45 per cent to 43 per cent. A different Labour candidate, the same analysis found, would trail Reform by 53 per cent to 27 per cent.
Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell, who will lead the party's campaign in the by-election, told the Guardian, "Should he be our candidate, Andy's story, Andy's narrative, Andy's connection to the place will absolutely be at the forefront of it all."
She described Makerfield as "a straight fight between us and Reform" in a community that "feels that mainstream politics has not been listening to it enough."
The Green party announced on Friday it would also stand in the seat, a move criticised by its former leader Caroline Lucas.
Burnham is expected to set out his political vision next week, which his allies have described as "Manchesterism" — a politics built around making people feel rooted and invested in their local communities.
Monday (18) is the deadline for any other candidates to put themselves forward for the Labour nomination. If others do, the party's chosen candidate will be confirmed on Thursday (21).
