‘Andy Burnham could save Labour’: Readers back Manchester mayor’s potential Westminster return

Iindependent Readers were quick to criticize Labor for trying to block Andy Burnham’s possible Westminster return, warning that it could make Sir Keir Starmer appear reserved and uninterested.

The row follows the departure of former Labor MP Andrew Gwynne, whose resignation has led to Burnham standing in the upcoming Gorton and Denton byelection.

Reports suggest Starmer’s allies in the party’s NEC are preparing to block him; one source describes an “overwhelming anti-Burnham coalition” spanning the left and right of the party.

Many have argued that allowing Burnham to return could energize the party and offer a credible alternative to populist threats such as Nigel Farage.

Many readers highlighted Starmer’s perceived disconnect with voters, pointing to his repeated policy U-turns and tendency to make snap decisions. Critics argued his approach alienated rank-and-file members and left Labor vulnerable to vote losses, particularly in the face of regional challenges and local elections in May.

Burnham has been widely praised for her communication skills and ability to appeal to different sections of the Labor Party; some have described him as the only person capable of building a broad coalition of left- and center-leaning voters.

A common theme was concerns about internal party governance, including potential loyalty pledges and attempts to obstruct the NEC’s rivals. Many readers framed these moves as short-term fixes that could backfire and warned that credibility and trust within the party were at stake.

Here’s what you need to say:

Blocking Burnham would be a mistake

Preventing Burnham’s return would be a huge mistake because it would send the message that Starmer does not want to fight for what he believes in. It would be better to welcome Burnham with open arms and challenge her to take on Farage.

Pomerol95

Starmer is out of touch with reality

As they say, repeating the same thing over and over again in the hope of a better outcome is a sign of insanity. This is evident in Starmer’s choice to sack rank-and-file party members. He clearly thinks he knows what UK voters need, but he doesn’t, and despite his poor results in the polls, he is determined to fight any challenge.

Even Labor voters on 4 July 2024 abandoned Starmer. The plain truth is that if Downing Street remains in No 10 it will lead Labor to its worst ever election defeat.

Starmer’s biggest problem is that he is perceived as disconnected from political reality. What’s more, when he and Reeves make hasty politicking, they have to backtrack later because they’ve seriously misjudged the mood of the voters. Even as the party’s base warned at the conference that voters viewed FPTP as increasingly outdated, Starmer failed to see the bigger picture, with 9.7 million votes out of 46 million voters.

This is thanks to the woeful Labor Party and yes, Badenoch’s Conservatives no longer represent the mainstream in the UK. Both the Conservative Party and the Labor Party have abandoned their appeals to the broad church. They are faced with more and more political parties appealing to selective segments of the electorate. Farage could therefore take the keys to No 10 Downing Street and have a lower poll share than Starmer has in July 2024.

OldBuzza2026

Starmer is afraid of Burnham

When the Prime Minister makes a point of saying Andy Burnham is doing an excellent job as Mayor, you know he’s afraid Andy will challenge him.

The Prime Minister stood at the Dispatch Box last week and berated the Conservatives for the number of Secretaries and Prime Ministers they have had in 14 years. Labor appears to be in a desperate rush to match or even surpass the Conservative Party’s dismal record.

If I had voted Labor in 2024 (I didn’t), I’d be tearing my hair out. The Labor Party is falling apart from within. Starmer and Reeves make Truss and Kwarteng look economically plausible. Worse still, Labor voters’ choices at the next election will be dysfunctional Labour, aimless Liberal Democrats or the equally useless Greens or Corbyn’s oddball team.

Labor voters deserve our sympathy.

Krispad

Starmer should welcome a rival

What is Starmer afraid of? There is nothing wrong with having an opponent in the parliament. This wouldn’t be a problem if Starmer could cut back and provide services to working people.

brianstone

Burnham is a good communicator

I always thought Burnham seemed like a nice guy. He is a good communicator and more likely to reestablish closer ties with the EU, boosting British business. I don’t see any downside.

scud10000

Burnham could save Labor

Burnham is the only man who can save Labor and make it acceptable to the left coalition; but Labor’s right wing will do everything they can to stop Burnham and sabotage her if she gets in.

Robin Baldock

Starmer’s mistakes are not forced

Keir Starmer made a series of unforced errors and subsequent U-turns. The UK deserves a leader who can fend off the populists, which would be disastrous. There needs to be a conversation about the way forward; It hasn’t worked very well so far.

Kurd

Focus on devolution in the north

Burnham should stay here and work on devolution to the North. Going to London means going into a cesspool that will suck him in. Instead of being constantly manipulated by the South, we need devolution of power to the North, a northern government that will take care of our affairs and control how things are done here.

Sagia

The party’s credibility is at stake

When a party starts controlling who can do what behind the scenes, its credibility to govern democratically goes out the window. Isn’t that right, Nigel?

If Burnham wants to stay up, she has to stay up. If he wants to challenge Starmer he should be able to do so. It will be the decision of the party members, not the operation ‘Save the Big Dog’, which is keeping a collapsing front afloat in the background. It may work in the short term, but it will backfire heavily in the long term.

rasputin007

Some of the comments in this article have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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