Starmer defends Burnham snub: ‘The fight is with Reform’
Keir Starmer has defended a decision to block Andy Burnham from standing as a candidate to run as an MP in an upcoming by-election, claiming political resources should be allocated towards Labour’s “fight with Reform”.
Less than a day after Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) – which Starmer is a member of – voted 8-1 to block Burnham’s bid to return to Westminster, the Prime Minister called on party activists to focus on issues important to voters and on its “fight” against Nigel Farage’s party.
Asked about the decision to block Burnham’s potential return to Westminster, Starmer said: “The single most important thing for people across the country is the cost of living and that’s why we’re bearing down on it in everything we’re doing, pulling every lever.
“The second thing I’d say is there is a fight. Yes, there is a fight, but that fight is with Reform and we all need to line up together to be in that fight, all playing our part.
“I think that everybody in the Labour Party, everybody who’s a Labour MP, wants to be in that fight, wants to fight alongside all their colleagues in a fight that matters hugely to the future of our country.”
He said Burnham, who will remain the mayor of Greater Manchester, was doing a “great job” and that another city election “would divert our resources away from the elections that we must have, that we must fight and win”.
Burnham, who spoke at a number of events on Monday morning, refused to answer questions about the snub on Sunday.
He said: “I’ve said what I needed to say and here I am back in my job. A full focus on my job as mayor of Greater Manchester.”
However, on social media, Burnham has punched back at the decision, suggesting in a post on X that Labour would be at risk of losing the by-election at Gorton and Denton.
He also said in a statement: “I am disappointed by today’s NEC decision and concerned about its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us.
“To whoever is Labour’s candidate and to our members in Manchester and Tameside: you will have my full support and I will be there whenever you need me.”
Burnham versus the bond markets and the office
It is unclear whether political developments have weighed on bond traders’ decisions, though 30-year gilt yields dropped by as much as six basis points on Monday morning, pushing down on government borrowing costs.
Some analysts have warned that Burnham’s ascendancy posed a risk to public finances given his criticism of the government being “in hock to the bond markets”.
Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at the Wealth Club, said: “Bond investors, who demand stability on the UK political scene, may be reassured by the blocking of a bid to potentially oust Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.
“Andy Burnham has been denied the opportunity to stand as an MP, which could have potentially opened the door to a leadership battle at the top of the Labour party.
“There is likely to be some relief that fresh political uncertainty won’t erupt right now in the UK, especially given the highly fractious nature of US politics.”
But the decision made on Sunday by the NEC, which consists mainly of the Prime Minister’s allies including home secretary Shabana Mahmood, has caused uproar among backbenchers hoping to replace Starmer with a more popular leader.
‘Disgusting decision’
John McDonnell, the Labour MP who was Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow chancellor, said the NEC’s decision was “disgusting” and that Starmer should not “underestimate the depth of anger people will feel”.
Former transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “The leadership should not feel threatened by having one of the most popular politicians in the country as part of the national team. It’s not too late to change course and make the right decision. Otherwise I think we’ll all come to regret this.”
Prior to the NEC’s final decision, energy secretary Ed Miliband suggested Burnham should be allowed to apply to be a candidate to fill the Gorton and Denton seat, which is vacant after Andrew Gwynne’s resignation.
Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell also backed Burnham’s bid and was the only member on the NEC officers’ list to back the Manchester mayor.
A statement from the Labour Party said on Sunday: “The NEC believes that causing an unnecessary election for the position of Greater Manchester Mayor would have a substantial and disproportionate impact on party campaign resources ahead of the local elections and elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd in May.
“Although the party would be confident of retaining the mayoralty, the NEC could not put Labour’s control of Greater Manchester at any risk.”