Starmer Says “100% Behind” Burnham; Will Campaign in Makerfield
Sir Keir Starmer told reporters on a visit to Essex yesterday he would “100% behind” Labour’s Makerfield candidate — Andy Burnham — and would personally campaign in the by-election on 18 June. “I want to be part of that, of course I do,” the Prime Minister said. “I’ve said to the whole Labour movement that I want everybody to be involved in the campaign, whatever other discussions are going on. It’s really important — that’s a straight fight between Labour and Reform.” A spokesperson for Burnham responded: “Anyone who wants to embrace Andy’s campaign message is welcome on the campaign.” Burnham’s message, has been “different”.
Burnham said on Thursday that Britain had been “on the wrong path for 40 years”. The Friday Makerfield launch makes the leadership-question subtext fully explicit. The Guardian reported on Wednesday that Burnham’s campaign in Makerfield is being run by two prominent Tribune Group MPs from the Labour soft left: Burnham’s close friend Anneliese Midgley and former transport secretary Louise Haigh — signalling that the leadership campaign-in-waiting is being staffed by the parliamentary left, not the parliamentary right that Streeting represents. Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon — the local plumber who came within 5,399 votes of Josh Simons in 2024 — is the Reform candidate; the 7 May local elections in Wigan saw Reform UK win 24 of 25 council seats.