Labour splits over whether Burnham should unseat Starmer

According to the rumours, Andy Burnham may or may not run to replace Andrew Gwynne as the MP for Gorton and Denton. Common sense suggests that if Burnham steps down as mayor of Greater Manchester to return to parliament, he’s doing so to launch a leadership campaign against Keir Starmer.

As you’d expect, this has resulted in a split between those who support Burnham and those who support Starmer burying the century-old party as a political force:

My hope is Keir Starmer shows the strength & leadership to refuse to yield to those advisers surrounding him who appear to be aiming to block Andy Burnham from standing. They are more interested in maintaining their control of the party than securing its future.

— John McDonnell (@johnmcdonnellMP) January 24, 2026

‘Let him stand’ VS ‘Let the cold waters of irrelevancy engulf us’

Angela Rayner is one of those calling for Burnham to be allowed to stand, with the Guardian’s Pippa Crerar noting:

Angela Rayner, the former deputy PM, is planning to urge No 10 to let Andy Burnham to stand in byelection.

A string of Labour MPs and boss of Britain’s biggest union, Unison, have already warned party must ensure democratic process and avoid stitch-up.

I’m now told Unite also believes that for fairness, he should be allowed to stand. (But understand that’s not an endorsement and any decision about whether to support him would be taken at later point.)

Left-leaning MP Nadia Whittome said:

Local Labour members must be able to freely choose their candidate for Gorton and Denton.

Sorry but if the most unpopular Labour government in history intervenes to block our only senior Labour politician with a net positive public approval rating – in doing so risking handing victory to a far right party – that’s putting petty factionalism before the country.

The last person at Labour HQ had better turn the lights off on their way out.

Whittome added:

If my party is serious about anti-racism: implement the Forde recommendations, adopt the APPG’s definition of Islamophobia, address disproportionate poverty rates and poor health outcomes.

Do not cynically deploy it to shut down party democracy. Offensive and politically weak. https://t.co/dnZ8qgA7Pf

— Nadia Whittome MP (@NadiaWhittomeMP) January 22, 2026

Clive Lewis also offered his support:

Bang on.

The assumption of a stable, cheap, rules-based world is over.

The answer isn’t tweaks or workarounds.

It’s democratic control of essential systems.
Local power. Costs driven down at source, not endlessly patched over.

Public control where it actually matters. pic.twitter.com/6WMixme4n5

— Clive Lewis MP (@labourlewis) January 22, 2026

The shitehawks surrounding Starmer, meanwhile, have launched a ‘Stop Andy Burnham’ campaign. The problem for them, of course, is that everyone hates Starmer, which is why they’re having to resort to fantasy:

The right wing media, in collaboration with the political pollsters, using everything they can deploy to topple Starmer by promoting Farage, or Burnham or whoever they can to undermine him because they know he is restoring our economy and on course to win the next Election

— George Foulkes (@GeorgeFoulkes) January 23, 2026

Starmer – Burnham psychodrama

The PM himself said the following when asked about a potential leadership challenge:

My message is to my entire party, and is that every minute we waste talking about anything other than the cost of living and stability in Europe and across the globe is a wasted minute

That’s the thing, though, isn’t it, Keir; you’re all talk and no action.

While we’re highly unlikely to endorse Burnham for PM, he’s clearly a better choice than Starmer. Even Starmer knows this, which is why him and his team are shitting it.

Featured image via Heute