Streeting “Won’t Fight Burnham” if Makerfield Wins; Ten-Week Coronation Timetable Emerges
Wes Streeting is likely to abandon his bid for the Labour leadership and fall in behind Andy Burnham if the Greater Manchester mayor wins the Makerfield by-election, senior allies believe. Figures organising for the former health secretary said there is an emerging feeling that “no one can beat Andy” if Burnham makes it back to parliament and launches a challenge against Sir Keir Starmer. A YouGov poll of Labour members shows Burnham beating Streeting 80% to 10% in a potential leadership race that does not involve Starmer. Those closest to Streeting are pushing for a “ten-week timetable” — a four-week by-election campaign followed by a six-week Labour leadership contest.
One Streeting ally: “The consensus among the team is that if Andy wins Makerfield, it turns to bargaining for the best possible secretary of state position. If he loses, that’s a different matter.” Another senior Streeting ally said: “I don’t think it’s clear cut. If Andy wins the by-election it’s obviously a real success. But where he stands on a whole range of issues is unknown and there’s clearly a case for having a good open process where we figure out.” Some Burnham supporters have been making the case for skipping a leadership contest altogether and going straight to a coronation should Burnham win in Makerfield. Streeting himself said publicly he had “no regrets” about resigning from government and backed Burnham in the by-election.