Starmer ties Burnham plans to Truss as leadership chatter grows amid economic headwinds

LONDON — Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to comment on whether Andy Burnham, the Manchester mayor, intends to pursue Labour’s leadership, but drew a pointed comparison between Burnham’s economic proposals and policies associated with Liz Truss, saying her tenure was “a disaster for working people.” Starmer urged discipline on fiscal rules, arguing that stability is the foundation of the government’s approach and recalling the 2022 Truss episode as a cautionary tale about abandoning those rules.

Burnham has nudged into the leadership discussion in recent months. He told the Daily Telegraph that he had been contacted by Labour MPs urging him to stand. In an interview with the New Statesman, he outlined a rival economic vision that included a 50p top rate of income tax and a tax cut for lower earners. He was quick to note that any decision to challenge the party leadership is for Labour’s parliamentary ranks rather than himself, as he is not an MP.

Starmer, speaking to the BBC, said he would not comment on personal ambitions but reiterated the importance of fiscal rules. He told BBC News that abandoning those rules to fund spending would repeat a mistake he linked to the “Liz Truss experiment” of three years ago, explaining that such a move would be a disaster for working people and would undermine economic stability.

In the intervening weeks, the government has grappled with turmoil that has included Angela Rayner’s resignation after underpaying stamp duty and the dismissal of Peter Mandelson as the United States ambassador amid new disclosures about his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The economy remains under strain, with cost-of-living pressures intensifying as November’s budget looms and voters assess Labour’s performance across local, Welsh and Scottish councils ahead of May.

Burnham has used the Labour autumn conference in Liverpool as a stage to press his case, saying MPs had reached out to him but that a leadership decision remains with the parliamentary party. If a Westminster seat opens via a by-election and he could win under Labour’s red banner, some observers note that he would need broad backing from the party, including the support of at least 80 MPs, a tall order given the current loyalties and the presence of Reform UK in the polls.

A BBC Radio 5 Live survey of 320 of Labour’s 399 MPs found a mixed reaction. Many respondents were dissatisfied with the government’s performance, but most indicated Burnham’s return would not necessarily improve their own electoral prospects. The poll underscores a wider sense within the party that leadership questions are unsettled, and it highlights the factional dynamics at play as Labour trains its focus on the autumn conference and the looming electoral map.

As Labour seeks to recalibrate after years in government, observers note that Burnham’s public positioning signals potential but uncertain pathways to influence at the top of the party. The autumn conference in Liverpool is expected to be a focal point for Labour’s messaging and a test of where the party’s leadership contours currently stand as it navigates a challenging national economy and a complex electoral landscape.