As chaos continues to swirl around Sir Keir Starmer, Labour rebels – dubbed the “Manchester Mafia” – are reportedly plotting to parachute Andy Burnham back into Westminster so he can mount a leadership challenge for No10. The move, which insiders have branded the “Etihad Coup”, has lifted the lid on growing unrest inside the party just a year after the Prime Minister’s landslide general election victory.
The plot centres on suspended MP Andrew Gwynne’s Greater Manchester seat. With a majority of more than 13,000, the Gorton and Denton constituency could offer Greater Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham, dubbed King of the North, route back to Parliament. Mr Gwynne was suspended earlier this year after sexist WhatsApp messages were exposed, and is understood to be off sick.
Rebels believe he could be persuaded to step aside in the New Year, paving the way for Mr Burnham’s dramatic return, reports The Sun on Sunday.
With a majority of more than 13,000, the Gorton and Denton constituency could offer Mr Burnham, the so-called “King of the North”, a safe passage back to Parliament.
Mr Gwynne was suspended earlier this year after sexist WhatsApp messages were exposed, and is understood to be off sick. Rebels believe he could be persuaded to step aside in the New Year, paving the way for Mr Burnham’s dramatic return.
One Labour insider said: “Keir Starmer sacked too many Manchester City fans in his reshuffle. They are calling it the Etihad coup. The talk is Andrew Gwynne is ready to go – and if Labour HQ tried to parachute someone else in, Andy would win that battle.”
Mr Burnham, currently Mayor of Greater Manchester, has long been viewed as the biggest internal threat to Starmer’s leadership. Popular in the North, he has cultivated a loyal group of allies within the parliamentary party – many of whom were furious after being sidelined or demoted in last month’s brutal reshuffle.
The coup whispers come at the end of a torrid week for Starmer. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner quit in the wake of a scandal, while party grandee Peter Mandelson was also forced out, leaving the Government reeling. The twin departures have fuelled open speculation about whether Starmer can cling to authority.
Clive Lewis became the first sitting Labour MP to publicly declare that Starmer is “not up to the job”, while senior frontbenchers are warning he could be gone within a year unless the party turns around its fortunes before next May’s local elections.
One Cabinet source admitted: “Things have got to change. If not, Labour MPs could throw Keir overboard.”
The tensions are compounded by Lucy Powell, the Manchester MP who was sacked as Commons Leader, now emerging as bookies’ favourite to succeed Ms Rayner as deputy leader. Her candidacy is being interpreted by many as a direct act of defiance, with one backbencher describing the reshuffle as “a bunker strategy that’s thrown half the party out of the bunker”.
The “Manchester Mafia” see Mr Burnham as the natural successor – a leader who could unite Labour’s fractured coalition and connect with voters Starmer has alienated. But official denials have already begun.
Mr Gwynne has publicly rejected claims he is poised to stand down, while a source close to Mr Burnham insisted the Mayor is not plotting a coup.
Despite that, few at Westminster believe the whispers will fade. With Labour consumed by scandal, sackings, and open dissent, the spectre of Mr Burnham returning to Parliament is one more headache for a Prime Minister already facing questions about how long he can survive in No10.