Starmer Signals Cabinet Job for Burnham Before Andy Burnham By-election

Keir Starmer said he would be prepared to give Andy Burnham a cabinet job and hoped he wins the andy burnham by-election on Thursday. Speaking at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, the prime minister said Burnham is a huge asset to Labour and could play a big part in a Labour government.

Starmer also said he does not think there should be a challenge to his leadership. He said that if there is one, he intends to fight it.

Starmer at Évian-les-Bains

“What I will say about Andy is he is a huge asset to our party and our movement,” Starmer told reporters. “I hope he wins the byelection and he plays a big part in the Labour government.”

He tied that to the wider question of party discipline, saying: “I don’t think there should be a challenge. I think history, particularly the last government, shows that that isn’t a successful way for a government to behave.”

Starmer added: “But if there is a challenge then I intend to fight. I’m not going to walk away from that, and I’ve been clear and consistent about that.”

Wes Streeting on Newsnight

Wes Streeting said on Two’s Newsnight on Wednesday night that he would be prepared to trigger a Labour leadership contest if necessary. He said he wanted the prime minister to take “some space and time to reflect over the weekend” and then decide on his own terms.

Streeting also said there would need to be a contest if the “uncertainty and paralysis” continued. He said he would be prepared to do that and said he had the support of 81 Labour MPs.

Makerfield on Thursday

The immediate test is the Makerfield byelection on Thursday. Starmer said the Labour party and Labour movement should focus on the Greater Manchester mayoral byelection that would follow if Burnham wins in Makerfield, calling it one of the biggest byelections Labour has ever fought.

That leaves Burnham at the center of two questions at once: whether he wins Makerfield, and whether the result feeds a leadership contest that Streeting says he is prepared to begin next week.