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Keir Starmer has indicated he would give Andy Burnham a cabinet job, describing him as a “huge asset”, as he attempted to head off a challenge to his leadership that is expected to come after the Makerfield byelection on Thursday.
Starmer, who is fighting for his political life from the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains in France, said if there was a leadership challenge, he intended to fight.
“What I will say about Andy is he is a huge asset to our party and our movement,” he told reporters at the gathering in the French spa town. “I hope he wins the byelection and he plays a big part in the Labour government. He’s been a very successful mayor. When I came into politics, his was the team that I joined, and we work very closely together.”
Starmer said it was important that Labour focused on the Greater Manchester mayoral byelection that would follow if Burnham wins in Makerfield, describing it as “one of the biggest byelections we’ve ever fought”.
“[I]t’s really important to my mind that the whole of the Labour party and Labour movement focuses on that, which is the next most immediate task,” he said.
Asked if there was any way he would stand aside as leader for Burnham or any other contender, such as the former health secretary Wes Streeting, he said: “I don’t think there should be a challenge. I think history, particularly the last government, shows that that isn’t a successful way for a government to behave.
“But if there is a challenge then I intend to fight. I’m not going to walk away from that, and I’ve been clear and consistent about that.”
Streeting has suggested he would be prepared to challenge Starmer and spark a Labour leadership contest as early as next week. He said “uncertainty and paralysis” had to be ended and he would give the prime minister at least the weekend to think about it.
Burnham’s supporters are sceptical of Streeting’s bullishness about a contest and have cast doubt on whether he has the support of the 81 Labour MPs needed to trigger a leadership contest.
Nevertheless, when asked on BBC Two’s Newsnight on Wednesday night if he would trigger a contest if Burnham wins, Streeting said: “I think the prime minister should be given some space and time to reflect over the weekend and I think we should see where we are then.
“I would prefer the prime minister to take a decision on his own terms rather than leave it for me or Andy or anyone else to trigger a contest. If not, we can’t carry on with this uncertainty and paralysis and there will need to be a contest and I would be prepared to do that.”
Streeting had held back on issuing the warning that he would trigger a contest when he gave a speech earlier on Tuesday in London where he argued for a “progressive capitalist” approach.
He insisted he did have the support of 81 Labour MPs and warned those who would stand against him that Labour members would be able to “smell inauthenticity” where “people are trying to tack left, adopt one position one day and another position another day”.
The Cabinet Office minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, would not be drawn on whether a Labour leadership challenge would begin next week. Asked on Sky News whether he expected Streeting to launch a challenge next week, he said: “I’m not Nostradamus.”.
Starmer’s comments that he would be prepared to offer Burnham a cabinet job were met with some bemusement from MPs backing the Greater Manchester mayor. “The PM clearly values his cabinet so much, he’s basically said he’s willing to get rid of one to try and save himself. Real leadership, that, mate,” one source said.
The former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has heaped further pressure on Starmer, telling the Daily Mirror in an interview that the Makerfield byelection had to be a “line in the sand”. She praised Burnham while warning that time was running out for Labour to turn its fortunes around.
