The Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth in Scotland said he would back Andy Burnham in a leadership race, adding: “No one in the Cabinet’s hands are clean from the first two years of Keir Starmer’s leadership.”
Brian Leishman told the Press Association that Mr Burnham’s record as Greater Manchester mayor “speaks for itself”.
“I also think that he is probably the most skillful communicator in the Labour Party at the moment, at whatever level, and he is the best person that I think that can basically take the fight, the growing fight and danger that Reform pose.”
Speaking outside Parliament, he added: “Andy Burnham is undoubtedly, in my opinion, the most skillful Labour politician to deliver proper Labour values – I want to see him in Parliament, I want to see him in leadership.”
Mr Leishman told PA: “We’re nearly at half time, we’re nearly two years through… this Labour Government – we have still got plenty of time if we act now and we act decisively and embrace the radical Labour Party values, we’ve still got time to turn this around.”
He added: “The only thing that will save the party is getting back to its real, true values, core values and principles that so many of our members, our grassroots members hold so dear.
“The societal problems that we face as a nation and all nations across the United Kingdom is absolutely devastating working class communities, and we have got to get back to being in the service of working class communities, investing in public services – the solution for all the ills that we have in society can be found in real Labour Party values.”