Andy Burnham has revealed that Labour MPs are privately urging him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the party leadership. The Manchester Mayor's intervention is likely to fuel fresh speculation about a potential return to Westminster politics.
Burnham accused Downing Street of creating a "climate of fear" within the party. He said "wholesale change" was required to address what he described as an "existential" threat to Labour's future.
The comments come as Starmer has endured a bruising few weeks with two high-profile government departures and sustained lag behind Reform UK in the polls. These developments have sparked fresh questions about his leadership.
Tax vision outlined
The former Labour minister outlined his vision for turning Britain around, including higher council tax on homes in southern England and a 50p top rate of income tax. He told the Telegraph there was a "huge underpayment of tax that should now be corrected" in London and the South East because rates were based on property valuations from 1991.
Burnham also heaped pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the autumn budget, saying there was "definitely a case" for raising income tax later in this Parliament. He suggested cutting payroll tax for lower earners and described the 10p rate of income tax introduced in 1999 as "one of the really innovative and quite interesting things" New Labour did.
Conference challenge ahead
Burnham insisted he is not plotting an immediate return to the Commons but said the Labour conference in Liverpool must answer a crucial question. "Where is our plan to turn the country around?" he asked in an interview with the New Statesman.
"I'm going to put the question back to people at Labour conference: are we up for that wholesale change?" he said. He challenged the party to avoid returning to "the old way of doing things in Westminster with minimal change".
The senior Labour politician said he was ready to "work with anybody who wants to… put in place a plan to turn the country around". When asked about playing a leadership role, he responded: "I'm happy to play any role. I am ready to play any role in that. Yes. Because the threat we're facing is increasingly an existential one."
Leadership ambitions confirmed
When asked directly if MPs had urged him to run for the top job, Burnham confirmed: "People have contacted me throughout the summer - yeah." He added: "I'm not going to say to you that that hasn't happened, but as I say, it's more a decision for those people than it is for me."
The former Leigh MP suggested he still harbours ambitions for Number 10. "I stood twice to be leader of the Labour Party. And I think that tells you, doesn't it?" he said.
Burnham detailed his politics of "aspirational socialism" in what appeared to be a pitch for future leadership. He called for more public control of housing, energy, water and rail, and urged Labour to "get back to speaking to working-class ambition".
Deputy leadership battle
Burnham has thrown his weight behind former Commons leader Lucy Powell in the race to succeed Angela Rayner as deputy leader, following Rayner's resignation over her tax affairs. He believes the Manchester Central MP's victory would be key to weakening Downing Street's grip on the party.
Powell has been boosted by a £15,000 donation from green energy industrialist Dale Vince, who said: "I believe it's right to go all the way and have a deputy leader that is not in the Government and thus less constrained by collective responsibility." Powell has cast herself as the "independent choice" in the contest against Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson.
Education Secretary Phillipson rejected claims she is Number 10's choice, suggesting instead she had been the victim of sexist briefings. When asked about welcoming Burnham back to Westminster, she responded coolly: "Well, there isn't a vacancy, so I'm not sure which job he'd be applying for."
Westminster return speculation
Burnham told the New Statesman it would be a "wrench" to leave his current role but repeatedly declined to rule out a tilt at the leadership. He signalled willingness to work with the Liberal Democrats and Jeremy Corbyn, telling the Telegraph that Britain should introduce proportional representation to encourage cooperation within the "progressive majority".
A Labour source dismissed his positioning, saying: "I've heard of a stalking horse, but this guy is going to get hoarse from his endless stalking."
Sources used: "Telegraph", "New Statesman", "BBC Radio 5 Live" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
