Sir Keir Starmer is facing what insiders are calling “a moment of reckoning” as a revolt grows within Labour over the candidacy of Andy Burnham.
The controversy centres on whether the popular Mayor of Greater Manchester should be allowed to stand for the Gorton and Denton seat.
Sources say Mr Starmer had initially sought to block Mr Burnham, either by influencing the Labour NEC or by imposing an all-women or all-BAME shortlist, which would have effectively ruled him out.
Speaking about this on GB News, political correspondent Olivia Utley said “This really is a huge moment of reckoning for Keir Starmer and it could mark the beginning of the end for his leadership.
“As of last night, when I was speaking to Labour MPs, it looked as though Mr Starmer was going to succeed in blocking Andy Burnham from standing in Gorton and Denton.
“The way this was expected to happen was through the NEC. Labour’s governing body, which must approve parliamentary candidates. The suggestion was that Starmer would lean on allies on the NEC to prevent Burnham from being approved.
“The other option being discussed which you mentioned was imposing an all-women or all-BAME shortlist, which would effectively rule Burnham out without explicitly naming him. Both of those options appeared plausible last night.
“But today, the mood inside the Labour Party has shifted dramatically.
Olivia Utley said this is a ‘moment of reckoning’ for the Prime Minster
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GB NEWS
“In the past couple of hours, two Labour MPs both from the north and both part of the 2024 intake have publicly pushed back, saying Andy Burnham must be allowed to stand.
“One of them, Joe White, said that anyone who wants to stand for the seat should be allowed to do so, warning that imposing a so-called ‘London stitch-up’ would be disastrous for Labour.
“What I think is happening here is this: both MPs represent Red Wall seats, areas that swung to Boris Johnson during the Brexit years and are now being aggressively targeted by Reform.
“They can see the direction of travel. If things continue as they are, these local elections are shaping up to be a bloodbath for Labour, and MPs like them fear they will lose their seats.
According to sources Sir Keir Starmer has thought about blocking Andy Burnham
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PA“For them, sticking with Starmer may be a losing strategy. They may believe that one final roll of the dice is worth taking and that Andy Burnham could be their only chance.
“”That then raises the key question: does Andy Burnham actually want to run?
“It’s long been known in Westminster that Burnham has very significant political ambitions.
“He has aligned himself with multiple factions over the years Blairite, Corbynite and everything in between and he has never hidden his desire to rise.
“But right now, he has a strong position as Mayor of Greater Manchester. He’s popular, performing well, and crucially, he is the only senior Labour figure without negative poll ratings.
“Would he really give that up, resigning the mayoralty early after promising to serve a full term, to stand in Gorton and Denton, where, as you rightly pointed out, victory is far from guaranteed?
“That is the gamble at the heart of this story.”