Starmer Says “100% Behind” Burnham; Will Campaign in Makerfield
Sir Keir Starmer told reporters on Thursday he would campaign personally in the Makerfield by-election for Andy Burnham. “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.” Asked by reporters whether Burnham would want Starmer’s help, Burnham at his Friday launch dodged the question, telling reporters only that “anyone who agrees with me would be welcome”.
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 soft-left MPs — Burnham’s close friend Anneliese Midgley and former transport secretary Louise Haigh — signalling the leadership campaign-in-waiting is being staffed by the parliamentary left, not the parliamentary right that Streeting represents. Reform UK’s Nigel Farage said Reform would “throw the kitchen sink” at the by-election and identified easing pressure on social housing as a regional priority.