Keir Starmer has been given 72 hours to quit with “dignity” or face a full-blown coup following Andy Burnham’s by-election landslide as the challenger plots a Left-wing “path for Britain”. The Mail has more.
Burnham’s allies have delivered the ultimatum after he secured a majority of 9,000 votes over Reform in Makerfield – sparking tears of joy from Labour Left-wingers who want far more extreme tax and spend policies.
As the PM hunkers in Downing Street, Ministers are said to have been conveying the message that he should set out a departure timetable. There are threats of Cabinet resignations from the start of next week.
Burnham made his intentions clear at a rally in Ashton this morning, calling for “real change”, “re-industrialisation” and an end to “trickle down economics”. “It is our last chance to change but we are going to take it… we are going to lay out a new path for Britain.”
He made a hasty exit after delivering the stump speech, ignoring questions shouted by reporters.
The scale of the victory heaped massive pressure on Sir Keir to allow a ‘coronation’ that could happen within days. Even previously loyal MPs are calling on him to make way for his rival.
But the premier showed no signs of budging as he toured a housing development this morning, saying he “will stand” in any leadership contest and will not “walk away”.
He revealed he has not yet spoken to Burnham directly. Tensions have been so great that the pair have not been in touch since he was selected as Makerfield candidate.
“If there is a contest, then yes, I will stand,” Sir Keir said. “I have said repeatedly, I am not going to walk away from that.”
In a lunchtime call with Labour staffers, the premier appeared to claim credit for the by-election result, saying the “tide is turning” on Reform in the national polls. “Let’s pull together as a party and a movement,” he said. “The one thing we’ve got to avoid doing is plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement. That has never worked. That’s what the last government did. We need to learn that lesson.”
However, ex-minister Baroness Harman – who was appointed as an adviser by Sir Keir just last month – has called for a “process” where MPs are given the choice of who is going to be PM. She argued that a woman should also be on the ballot.
Labour backbenchers who previously supported Sir Keir staying are now saying he needs to quit.
One told the Daily Mail: “Andy Burnham has exceeded all expectations and I’m absolutely sure that there’ll be an orderly transition of leadership now. Keir would be unwise to try and stop it.”
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, has become the first known Cabinet member to call on Starmer to resign.
Stop Press 2: Andy Burnham is likely to renege on promises to leave Rachel Reeves’s fiscal rules intact in order to ramp up borrowing if he becomes Prime Minister, Wall Street’s biggest banks have warned.
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Left-wing path for Britain? Sorry? Wtf have we been living through for the last 28 years? There is only one way to resolve this, and it’s not pretty, and it’s definitely not Reform.
Leave Britain?
Reform is the trench. Restore are the Vickers…
Brilliant! A great quote to remember!
Incredible, isn’t it. For years I’ve listened to friends and acquaintances whinge about right wing this, right wing that and the need for more left wing this and more left wing that. When I tell them that the Tories were more left wing than a Corbynista’s wet dream, and that the problem is too much left wing this and that, and that more of it is only going to make things worse… the eyes glaze over and the conversation comes to a screeching halt. The sound of broken brain slamming against a world they have lived in for years, but do not understand, is deafening.
Two World Wars with ultimate sacrifice from the indigenous, rallied by the same type of behind the curtain Wizard of Oz controllers who called for ultimate patriotism , love of flag & country ! Well it was all a lie , the only path we are on is leading us where even Hilter couldn’t have taken us !!
Britain practising self flagellation.
These socialist types are so damned NICE – well behaved, honourable, show solidarity with their comrades, sticklers for the rule book. Not at all ruthless like those horrid right wing Tories.
It does make me chuckle. I mean, socialism isn’t really my thing but I can see how the theory of it appeals – a brotherhood, everyone working together. Then you see the reality. How can anyone take these tossers seriously?
Socialists have never once in history met up and decided to re-distribute their own money.
Here’s what “The Left-Wing Path” has brought to Germany:
‘Open Season For Rape’, ‘This Country is Finished’ Say German Police
“When the cameras aren’t rolling, German police officers on the front line of the migrant crisis give their unvarnished account of the state of the nation, finding “the Germany we know is disappearing”.”
“A German investigative journalist has urged her fellow countrymen to “listen to police officers” and their experiences and “act accordingly”. German broadsheet newspaper Die Welt reports the words of Liv von Boetticher who said she had spoken to police officers across Germany, “from all departments, of all ages, and from all federal states”.”
They have the power to stand up.
Burnham is a nailed on loser. Like Brown he’ll come in swinging his member around only to be revealed for the shrunken inadequacy he is In the cold light of exposure.
I agree but there is another problem, as the country collapses Burn’em will make sure we all go down with him.
“With dignity”? I rather think that ship has somewhat disappeared over the horizon.
Political Dignitas, more like.
What a pair of toolmakerfields.
You’re on fire today! [OK, technically it may have been yesterday but..]
I particularly like “Political Dignitas”
I hope Starmer fights on demanding the contenders put their policy cases forward. That will give us all a laugh. Of course they don’t want to do that because it will also be quite frightening.
I agree. Starmer should stay and fight on and to his cabinet say ‘don’t let the door hit you on the way out’. With his majority he has lots of others to choose from who will no doubt like the salary boost of being a minister. No, I don’t expect them to be any better than the scummy rats leaving Two Tier’s sinking ship, but probably not much worse. Who knows, somebody competent might turn up.
“we are going to lay out a new path for Britain”
That’s usually done by holding a General Election; laying out the new path and presenting a Manifesto of your key policies and then winning it so that you have a mandate.
I’m sure that’s what Burnham means …….
😂😂😂
Real change? Ministers will all resign in the hope of getting their jobs back from Burnham.
The snivelling double leadership failure Burnham should be forced to show if he has the balls to match his moobs and actually go through a leadership contest. If it comes to it there could be 3 challengers to get the 81 MPs to support them unless any of the suspended MPs are allowed back to make it 4.