Labour are hand-wringing over whether to let Burnham run unopposed

The Labour Party is now reportedly mulling over whether to bother holding a leadership contest, or to just quietly hand the keys to No. 10 over to Andy Burnham without kicking up a fuss.

The news follows the (now-ex) Manchester Mayor’s sweeping victory in the Makerfield by-election – which had been tipped as a close-run race. Likewise, Starmer’s 22 June announcement that he’ll step down as Labour leader has turned all eyes to the ensuing contest to replace him.

Two questions now face the Labour Party:

1. Should Burnham be allowed to run unopposed, or should there be a leadership contest?
2. In the latter event, is there anyone who could challenge the newly-minted Makerfield MP?

Burnham or bust?

Ex-health secretary Wes Streeting previously quit his job under Starmer amid rumours of mounting a leadership challenge himself. However, he’s now given his backing to Burnham. Of course, that’s more of a curse than a blessing in the Canary’s opinion, but whatever.

Meanwhile, Darren Jones – chief secretary to the Treasury – hasn’t ruled out a challenge. Al Carns, who recently quit as defence minister, is also considering throwing his hat into the ring.

However, even if either did actually want to stand, they’d still need 81 fellow MPs’ signatures backing their challenge. Right now, that possibility is looking somewhat remote.

However, allowing Burnham to become PM without so much as a leadership contest could also be a bad look for Labour. He wasn’t even an MP at the time of the 2024 General Election, and he’s previously run for leadership of the party twice – losing to both Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn.

‘Pointless charade’

Labour peer Margaret Hodge expressed that she’d “rather get on quickly” without running a contest. She also told BBC’s Today that all of the potential candidates are:

basically in the same political stable.

We at the Canary couldn’t agree more on that count.

Likewise, Labour MP Jo White called the prospect of a leadership race a “pointless charade”. Instead, she stated that her party needs a new leader “as quickly as possible”:

so that we can get on with the job of governing.

Meanwhile, John Slinger MP has spoken out in favour of running the contest, telling Radio 4 that:

I think the public out there would think we’d slightly lost our minds if we didn’t go through a process where we subject people who aspire to the highest office in the land to completely normal scrutiny.

We don’t just pass around the premiership of our great country to people. It says something about our politics and our wider society, that we have a very bizarre need for instant gratification.

Nadia Whittome MP likewise backed the idea of a contest, stating that Labour can’t address the UK’s issues:

without candidates setting out their stall transparently, and being scrutinised by members and by unions.

We’re tired, aren’t you tired?

Nominations for the leadership race will open on 9 July, before closing one week later. If nobody opposes him, Burnham could be the new head of the Labour Party – and therefore prime minister – as early as 17 July. Otherwise, the contest should be decided by 1 September, in time for the return of Parliament.

If victorious, Burnham would be the UK’s fifth prime minister in four years. Larry the Cat of Downing Street has outstayed all five, and the Tories’ Liz Truss famously failed to outlast a head of lettuce.

And therein lies the rub. If Labour crown Burnham with no contest, he’ll be accused of having no mandate. However, if the PLP do hold a contest, rivals might call it a navel-gazing distraction. Meanwhile, the public are growing desperately weary of watching Westminster play political games with no real change in sight.

Featured image via the Canary