Burnham not ruling out Labour leadership amid turbulence

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said he would not commit to serving out his full term, but that he intends to stay on until his May 2028 re-election. In an interview with BBC Radio Manchester, Burnham described his 'full intention' to remain in his post while acknowledging that, 'If events change, I'm not necessarily going to be stuck religiously in one way of thinking' and that the country is in 'a reasonably turbulent place'. He also noted that he has 'never ruled out going back to Westminster', while stressing that any decision would have to come in a different direction of people.

Burnham is not currently eligible to stand for Labour leader because he is not an MP, leaving open the possibility he could pursue a path in a by-election if circumstances allowed. Asked whether he would stand for a seat in Greater Manchester if one became available, Burnham replied, 'I honestly don't know, it's a hypothetical question.'

The remarks come as Keir Starmer faces pressure over the leadership and a string of political headaches for the Labour Party. Critics have pointed to Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the United States amid Mandelson's links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a move that has stirred discontent among some Labour MPs about the Downing Street operation. The developments have followed Angela Rayner's resignation as deputy prime minister and have sharpened calls from some MPs for new leadership accountability.

One of the contenders to replace Rayner, Lucy Powell, pushed back on suggestions that her deputy leadership bid was a proxy for Burnham's potential bid for higher office, saying on Wednesday that such claims misread her own aims. Burnham, who represented Leigh as a member of Parliament from 2001 to 2017 and later served in the Home Office, Health and Treasury, has previously attempted to lead the party in 2010 and 2015.

Burnham has argued that his work as mayor, especially on devolution and local governance, represents the country’s best path forward. He has stressed that before discussing who might lead Labour, there is a need to address a decade of turbulence and to craft a plan that puts the country back on a stable course, a sentiment he reiterated during the interview.