Akehurst Rejects Rule Change for Burnham Bid
Luke Akehurst said Labour’s rules should not be tweaked for burnham, rejecting a push by Andy Burnham’s backers for a longer leadership timetable. The North Durham MP and Labour NEC member said a contest starting now would leave Burnham unable to take part.
“If a contest started right now, I just don’t see how it’s physically possible for Andy Burnham to participate,” Akehurst said, adding: “I don’t think the Labour party’s rules and procedures are there to be tweaked, to suit one particular person.”
NEC rules and Burnham
Burnham’s allies had been understood to be lobbying Labour’s National Executive Committee for an extended nomination period that could stretch the leadership contest to about three months. That would give him time to return to parliament through a byelection if the party agreed to vary the timetable.
The NEC blocked Burnham’s return to parliament in January. The party’s ruling body can vary leadership contest rules with the consent of the NEC, so any change would depend on the same body that already stopped his path back into the Commons.
Rayner and Duale
Angela Rayner said on Thursday that Burnham should not have been prevented from re-entering parliament. She said: “If somebody wants to come and help, and be part of the future that we can deliver, then absolutely we shouldn’t be blocking people … We cannot afford to be factional about this. We cannot afford to have egos.”
When asked by ITV if she had done a deal with Burnham and was going to support his bid for No 10, she replied: “I’m not doing deals.”
Abdi Duale said in a post-election webinar hosted by FTI Consulting that the leader’s influence over how the NEC votes had weakened after 7 May. He said: “Of course, the leader has influence over how the NEC votes. But I do think that influence is diminished by looking at the results and thinking, well, you know, the prime minister is probably not going to take us into the next election. So I imagine colleagues will be weighing that up, because I think old loyalties that existed before 7 May are all being reassessed.”
Labour leadership contest
On Thursday, the health secretary was preparing to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer if he could secure enough MPs to trigger a contest. Akehurst said prime ministers needed to be MPs or members of the House of Lords, a rule last met in 1963. Burnham’s supporters were warning against a coronation for Wes Streeting as the next prime minister, but any route for Burnham would still depend on Labour’s NEC agreeing to alter the contest rules.
For Labour members, the immediate question is whether the party’s ruling body will hold the line or open the door to a longer timetable that could keep the leadership race alive for about three months. Akehurst’s position points to resistance inside the NEC, which means Burnham’s route depends on persuading the same party machinery that already stopped his return in January.
