The Huffington Post
Andy Burnham wants to be the next prime minister. Andy Burnham has confirmed he will challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership if he wins the Makerfield by-election. The Greater Manchester mayor admitted he will launch his bid to be the next prime minister on a special edition of BBC Question Time . Burnham is going head-to-head with Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon when voters in Makerfield go to the polls on June 18. He has previously said he wants to become an MP again to “change Labour” – but stopped short of admitting he wants to replace Starmer as party leader and PM. More than 90 Labour MPs publicly called for Starmer to resign in the wake of last month’s elections, in which the party was humiliated in England, Wales and Scotland. Cabinet ministers Shabana Mahmood, Ed Miliband, John Healey and David Lammy – the deputy PM – have also urged Starmer privately to name a date for his departure. Health secretary Wes Streeting also resigned, and has said he will run in any future leadership election. Asked directly on Question Time whether he will challenge the PM if he wins the by-election, Burnham said: “I’m not somebody who gets ahead of myself. I can’t do anything unless I’m lucky enough to get the support of people here. “But if I get your support, I would seek to represent you at the highest possible level and give this constituency maximum power and influence. “I think Wes Streeting seems to have launched a leadership contest, so if that is running, I would seek to join it. “But I’d have to persuade members of the Parliamentary Labour Party to do the same. So that’s the only question. “I’ve heard on so many doorsteps and I’ve said to my team, let’s have a proper look at this and let’s develop a policy.” Subscribe to Commons People , the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Andy Burnham Accuses Blair Of Not 'Understanding What's Going On' As Labour Row Deepens Andy Burnham Launches Makerfield By-Election Campaign With 'Clarion Call For Change' Andy Burnham Confirmed As Labour Candidate In Crunch Makerfield By-Election
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