All articles tagged with #labour leadership
UK Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch brands Andy Burnham a 'people pleaser' with 'airy fairy' plans, saying the country needs tough decisions and not a blank cheque; she criticizes his Labour-first speech as ignoring national priorities. Burnham is the sole Labour leadership candidate after securing backing from 379 Labour MPs and all 11 trade unions, and he recently returned to Parliament in a by-election.
With Keir Starmer stepping down amid slipping public support, Labour is bracing for a leadership contest in which Andy Burnham is among potential contenders; candidates must secure the backing of at least 81 Labour MPs to run, and the party faces internal divisions and electoral pressure from rivals as the Brexit-era economic pains linger.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation as Labour leader and will remain caretaker PM until a successor is chosen; a formal Labour leadership contest will begin in early July with nominations opening on July 9 and closing when Parliament breaks for the summer recess, potentially allowing Andy Burnham—the former Manchester mayor and seen as the frontrunner—to take the helm quickly if there are few or no challengers.
Andy Burnham won Makerfield by-election with about 55% of the vote, a result Labour calls a potential turning point and a 'final chance to change' as leadership speculation swirls around Keir Starmer. Starmer defended the government and urged unity, while Burnham said Makerfield won’t be a stepping stone and pressed for affordability relief and reindustrialisation. The night also featured mixed by-election results, including a Scottish Conservative win in Aberdeen South and SNP holds in Arbroath & Broughty Ferry, with Labour figures and unions calling for an orderly leadership process.
After Andy Burnham’s decisive Makerfield by-election win, he is expected to seek Labour leadership, with a list of MPs and advisers named as likely senior figures in a future Burnham government. Among them are Louise Haigh, Anneliese Midgley, Miatta Fahnbulleh, Josh Simons, Kate Green, Kevin Lee, Lucy Powell, Ed Miliband, Heidi Alexander, Neal Lawson, and economic advisers Lord O’Neill and Richard Hughes, with roles ranging from cabinet posts and a Downing Street operation to policy and economic guidance. The piece notes uncertainties over who lines up most strongly and how these figures would fit into a Burnham administration.
Andy Burnham's Makerfield by-election win is seen as a potential stepping stone to challenging Labour leader Keir Starmer, highlighting Labour's leadership tensions amid Reform's rise and a five-party political landscape where voters express a desire for change and stronger northern influence.
Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester’s mayor nicknamed the King of the North, is pursuing a Makerfield parliamentary seat to stake a claim in Labour’s national leadership after Wes Streeting resigns to enter the contest; his main challenger is Reform UK’s Rob Kenyon, and the by-election could become a litmus test for Labour’s northern appeal as Keir Starmer’s leadership faces scrutiny amid ongoing economic and political tensions.
Tony Blair urges Labour to anchor itself in a 'radical centre' with delivery-focused governance, in a detailed essay and BBC interview that prompts debate inside the party about leadership and policy. While some MPs welcome sharper ideas, many Labour figures dispute his diagnosis and fear his approach could deepen divisions as leadership contests loom, with debates over pensions, taxes, net-zero and inequality.
Wes Streeting resigns as health secretary and announces he will stand to replace Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister after Labour suffered poor local election results, signaling a likely leadership contest even as Starmer vows to stay on.
Allies of Prime Minister Keir Starmer are prepared to fight any leadership challenge from Labour MPs, amid fears of internal plotting and concerns over Labour's unpopularity and potential leadership changes, with some party members considering a leadership contest that could destabilize the party and impact national stability.