Burnham mocked by own party as Cabinet minister attacks bid | Politics | News

This afternoon prominent backbencher Graham Stringer MP ripped apart the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s seemingly tentative position on Brexit. The 76-year-old MP for Blackley and Middleton South told attendees of the Brexit Unleashed conference: “It’s Tuesday, so Andy is in favor of being in the EU, yesterday he wasn’t, or is it the other way around?”

He was referring to Mr Burnham’s sudden U-turn on his desire to rejoin the EU in his speech in Leeds this week.

The Makerfield hopeful told attendees that he did not want to participate again, even though he said he participated last year.

Labor Party member Lord Glasman put further pressure on the Mancunian Mayor; He himself wanted his party colleague to say that “Andy Burnham is absolutely not certain to win this election”.

In a long speech in which his outspoken colleague took aim at progressive politics and what he felt was a technocratic dismissal of the Brexit vote, Lord Glasman said he felt Mr Burnham was likely to lose the election to Reform.

Mr Burnham had been feeling distressed throughout the day after Patrick McFadden, a senior Cabinet minister, told the press the by-election was “unnecessary”.

He added that this was an “expensive byelection” and that it was all about Mr Burnham’s own personal ambitions “rather than the interests of the constituency”.

Mr Burnham said: “Some say this by-election is unnecessary. I say it is the most important outcome of our lifetime.”

“I don’t take things for granted and I’m willing to accept the consequences of the choices people make.”

The Makerfield by-election was held after former Labor MP Josh Simons gave up the seat to give Mr Burnham a path back to parliament.

If he wins, he is expected to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Prime Minister and Labor leadership.