Labour insiders have poured cold water on Andy Burnham‘s hopes of a dramatic bid to succeed Keir Starmer.
The Manchester Mayor has been at the centre of intense speculation, with allies saying he is poised to make a comeback to the Commons.
Briefings over the weekend claimed he is pushing to get a seat before local elections in May – seen as a critical moment in whether Sir Keir can cling on.
The Gorton and Denton seat held by Andrew Gwynne – who is currently suspended from the party whip – has been touted as a possible target.
However, a senior Labour source told the Daily Mail that Mr Burnham stands no chance of getting selected as the candidate if a by-election does get triggered.
They suggested the NEC has ‘all kinds of emergency powers’ to determine the process, and general secretary Hollie Ridley – a Starmer loyalist – would be in control.
‘The current leadership would need to want Burnham to be candidate for him to get onto the shortlist,’ the Labour source said.
The insider pointed out that London Mayor Sadiq Khan had not been making the same noises about seeking a seat, observing that he is ‘probably more self aware than Andy’.
Andy Burnham has been at the centre of intense speculation, with allies saying he is poised to make a comeback to the Commons
Sir Keir’s woes have been fuelled by apocalyptic polls and the big-tax Budget landing poorly with the public
Mr Burnham dismissed ‘rubbish’ about his intentions yesterday after the Mail on Sunday revealed the latest manoeuvring by his supporters.
However, MPs are convinced he is positioning for a potential crisis that ends Sir Keir’s time in No10 – despite desperate pleas for unity.
‘There’s a significant number of us livid that he’s undermining the PM at every turn. He’s overestimating his support at Westminster,’ one MP told HuffPost.
‘If he wanted to stand for parliament, he had an opportunity last year to run at the general election.’
Mr Gwynne, who is facing a disciplinary process over offensive leaked WhatsApp comment, has insisted he will not be standing down. ‘I do wish if people are planning a coup involving me, they’d let me know,’ he told Politico.
Sir Keir’s woes have been fuelled by apocalyptic polls and the big-tax Budget landing poorly with the public.
Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner are also regarded as jockeying for a post-Starmer era.
However, a major problem for rebels is that 80 MPs need to unite behind a single challenger in order to spark a leadership contest.
Sir Keir’s fraying grip on party discipline was underlined today as a serving minister launched a devastating public attack on his management skills and judgment.
Mr Burnham dismissed ‘rubbish’ about his intentions yesterday after the Mail on Sunday revealed the latest manoeuvring by his supporters
Ian Murray complained he still does not know why the PM demoted him out of the Cabinet in a chaotic reshuffle in September.
The Edinburgh MP said he has still received ‘no explanation’ from Sir Keir why he was axed as Scottish Secretary.
He also revealed he considered walking away altogether rather than taking the more junior job he was offered – admitting his wife was ‘f***ing furious’ with the premier.