Sir Keir Starmer is fighting for survival with one senior Labour MP labelling him “vulnerable” in the wake of the Lord Mandelson scandal. Allies of the Prime Minister are now working to fight off a threat to his leadership as backlash continues to mount.
According to The Telegraph, Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is expected to launch a leadership bid and will criticise Starmer at Labour’s annual party conference later this month. Burnham is calling on Downing Street to introduce wealth taxes, nationalise utility companies and end the two-child benefit cap. He believes a “reset” is needed for the party to win the next election.
Data shows that Burnham is the only Labour politician with a net positive rating from the UK public. A third of people see him favourably, but because he is not an MP, Burnham is unable to run for Prime Minister.
He would have to seek a seat through a by-election in order to be eligible. Some figures revealed an existing Manchester MP is in ill health and ready to stand down, making way for a by-election.
One senior figure said: “Andy is ready to come back but it needs to be asap. He needs to be in place before the May elections in order to be ready. He also needs to be upfront about why he wants to come back and challenge the leadership to defy the party’s wishes.”
However, Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, believes he should stay in Manchester. He said: “Andy’s a real talent. I think he’s doing an incredible job in Manchester. I think Manchester really needs him.
“I like working with him in Manchester. It would be a shame for Manchester to lose him.”
Meanwhile, senior Labour MP Graham Stringer said Starmer was “vulnerable” and “supping in the last-chance saloon”. It comes after the loss of Angela Rayner as Deputy Prime Minister and the sacking of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.
He was sacked by Starmer over his links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move triggered controversy, with critics questioning both his conduct and the Prime Minister’s handling of the dismissal.
Mr Stringer said: “He is supping in the last-chance saloon. Now he needs to take control of key, critical issues. He seems to stand back and leave it up to other people. He is the person at the top. He needs to make decisions.”
After being asked to assess the state of the Prime Minister’s situation, he added: “Vulnerable. He seems to be unable to take quick, reasoned decisions and to explain them politically.”
He continued: “He doesn’t seem to have the basic skills that most politicians have. Anyone…can see that when they are absent, what happens: you get a Government fraying at the edges.”
According to Mr Stringer, the Labour Party has a history of “tolerating failing leaders” while the Conservatives are more “ruthless”. He added that he wants to see Starmer “use his formidable intelligence” to improve the current government.
Rosena Allin-Khan, the Labour MP who stood for the deputy leadership, said: “I believe he’s had a tricky year in office. I think the polls are going to show in May whether or not people believe that he is up to the job.
“But right now, I believe he got a huge mandate from Labour members. He got a mandate from the country, and we do have to let him see this out and be judged in May. I think he can continue, but he has a lot of proving to the public to show that he is up to the job.”