Starmer's Defiant Strategy Amid Leadership Challenge
Sir Keir Starmer's approach to maintaining his leadership position has once again demonstrated resilience, featuring determined rhetoric aimed at raising the political threshold for any potential challengers.
I have met with the prime minister twice in the past week. The first occasion was last Friday, when I was invited to 10 Downing Street for an extended interview beyond the usual length.
The second meeting occurred today during a shorter question and answer session as part of a series of interviews with broadcasters at the G7 summit in the French Alps.
Starmer had evidently resolved that, even if not directly questioned, he would, as he told me,
"gently point out that we do have a Manchester mayoralty by-election which will follow immediately, if Andy Burnham wins the by-election".
This remark referred to the rule that the mayor of Greater Manchester cannot simultaneously be a sitting Member of Parliament, meaning that a Burnham victory would create a vacancy in one of the most prominent roles in devolved English politics.
Starmer was effectively indicating that Burnham's primary focus, should he win, ought to be to secure Labour's hold on the mayoralty rather than pursuing his own path to Number 10 Downing Street.
In other words, the prime minister was attempting to buy time and remind the Labour Party that Burnham was responsible for triggering the Makerfield by-election and would cause another one if victorious.
Even if Labour retains both seats, they would merely return to their current standing in terms of parliamentary seats and offices held.
Burnham's team, however, dismissed the notion of delay as
"absolutely ludicrous".
Cabinet Role and Leadership Prospects
Burnham's team also stated bluntly that Labour would be more likely to lose a future mayoral election if there had not been an attempt to remove the prime minister by that time.
Following Starmer's suggestion that he might be willing to offer Burnham a cabinet position, Burnham's representatives made it clear that such an offer would be declined.
This stance is unsurprising given Burnham's campaign in the by-election centers on
"changing Labour", making it difficult to argue that he could fulfill this ambition while accepting a role in the current government.
Meanwhile, former health secretary Wes Streeting has publicly considered how soon he might initiate a leadership contest.
All of this unfolds on the eve of what is considered the most consequential by-election in decades, regardless of the result.
If Burnham wins, he will immediately be regarded by many as the frontrunner to become the next prime minister.
If he loses, Labour could face a significant decline in morale, with a leadership struggle still anticipated in the near future.
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