A Labour MP who is backing Andy Burnham to return to Westminster gave an amusing response when asked if she would give up her seat for the Mayor of Greater Manchester. It comes as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with several MPs calling for him to resign following Labour’s disastrous local election results last week.
Mr Burnham, who was prevented by Starmer from standing as the Labour candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, has been tipped by some, including the Prime Minister’s former deputy, Angela Rayner, to take control of the party. Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Paula Barker, MP for Liverpool Wavertree, called for Starmer to resign and said she would be “delighted” if Burnham returned to Westminster.
Ms Barker said: “I would be delighted if a seat could be identified for Andy Burnham,” before the interviewer asked: “He needs a safe seat, would you give up your seat for him?” Without hesitation, Ms Barker replied: “No,” before the interviewer continued: “There’s a clear answer but you’re hoping somebody will.” Ms Barker then nodded: “Yes.”
Earlier in the interview, the current Labour MP said the UK has “stopped listening to Keir and that is the problem.” She added: “Rather than having a load of chaos, if Keir set out a very clear timetable of his departure so we could have a dignified and respectful leadership competition, that would hopefully assure the public that we’re not just descending into the chaos that we saw with the previous government in the Conservatives.”
It follows former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner demanding that Burnham be allowed to stand as an MP. This would open the door to a potential leadership challenge against Starmer.
In an address to the Communications Workers Union (CWU), she said: “We as a party have to do better than this. And we can only prove we mean our Labour values by putting the common interest ahead of factionalism. And we can start by accepting that Andy Burnham should never have been blocked. It was a mistake that the leadership of our party should put right.”
Meanwhile, over 50 Labour MPs have called for Starmer to resign, while Tom Rutland, a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), became the first member of government to quit. Rutland wrote on X: “It is with regret that I believe the prime minister should now set out a timetable for his departure and for a new leader to be chosen to lead the Labour Party and the country.”
Sally Jameson, who is a PPS in the Home Office, told Sly News: “It is with regret that I now feel that the prime minister should set out a clear timetable for his departure in September or shortly after.”