Labour leadership speculation grows as Burnham praised by cabinet minister

A cabinet minister praised Andy Burnham as 'fantastic' amid feverish speculation that the Greater Manchester mayor could challenge Labour leader Keir Starmer, on the eve of Labour's annual conference in Liverpool. Burnham has not ruled out a bid and has accused Starmer of creating 'alienation and demoralisation' within the party. He has also suggested a number of MPs are urging him to launch a leadership bid as the party debates its future path.

A Conservative-leaning energy within Labour aside, Burnham has refused to rule out a tilt for the top job, while aligning himself with a critique of Starmer that he says has left the party divided. The Manchester mayor’s remarks have intensified a intra-party fault line at a time when Labour seeks to project unity ahead of the conference.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has previously vowed to support Burnham 'whatever he decides to do' but on BBC Question Time she dodged whether that included backing him to be prime minister. She told viewers she remains proud to serve in a government led by Starmer but emphasised the gains Labour has made since the 2020 defeat. Asked on Times Radio if she was frustrated by Burnham flirting with a leadership bid, she said Burnham is 'my mayor here in Greater Manchester' and that devolution has given a platform for diverse voices from across the country.

Savanta for The House magazine conducted a poll of more than 2,086 UK adults between 19 and 22 September. It found 28 per cent of voters thought Burnham would be better than Starmer as prime minister, while 14 per cent believed he would be worse and 28 per cent said he would neither improve nor harm Labour’s prospects. By comparison, 15 per cent said Angela Rayner would be better than Starmer, 16 per cent said Ed Miliband would be an improvement, and 14 per cent thought Health Secretary Wes Streeting would fare better. The poll highlighted Burnham as the most favorable potential Labour leader among respondents who were open to a change at the helm.

The poll's context is that Burnham would need to win a seat in Westminster if he pursued party leadership, and then secure the support of 80 Labour MPs to trigger a formal leadership contest. Analysts noted his current popularity could through the party’s structure into renewed debate about who might lead Labour back to power. Ed Hodgson, deputy director for research at More In Common, described Burnham as a relatively popular figure for a Labour politician at the moment, making him a notable wildcard in a leadership debate that could reshape Labour’s electoral prospects. He cautioned that hypothetical polling about leadership does not predict real-world outcomes, but acknowledged the potential impact on the party’s posture and strategy should Burnham decide to pursue the role.

In reply to Burnham’s broader economic proposals, Starmer dismissed the notion of personal ambition and emphasized fiscal rules as a bulwark for economic stability. He warned against abandoning those rules, drawing a parallel with Liz Truss as an example of what happens when fiscal discipline is sidelined. The prime minister also pointed to recent government progress that he credited to his leadership, arguing that stability and responsible budgeting are essential as Labour contemplates its long-term economic platform.

Burnham has signaled a willingness to push a tax-and-spend approach, including a plan he described as borrowing about £40 billion to fund nationalising housing construction. He argued that the country must move beyond reflexive resistance to borrowing if it enables long-term investment in public services and housing. Supporters frame Burnham’s stance as a test of Labour’s willingness to pursue ambitious public investment, while critics worry about debt sustainability in markets that remain wary of large-scale intervention.

Political observers noted Burnham’s appeal lies in a combination of broad popularity and a readiness to challenge party incumbents from the left. Some backing for Burnham’s leadership bid has emerged from within Labour circles, though the path to a formal leadership contest remains constrained by the party’s rules and internal power dynamics. The ongoing debate comes as Labour seeks to present a clear alternative to the current government, while attempting to knit together divergent strands of the party into a cohesive platform for the next general election.