Starmer told reporters it would be wrong to have a leadership debate before the upcoming by-election for the mayor of Greater Manchester. If Burnham wins the election on Thursday, the entire Labour Party must focus on the subsequent mayoral by-election, which will be one of the largest of its kind, he said.
Burnham had previously hinted that after an election victory he would demand a timetable for Starmer’s resignation. Health Secretary Wes Streeting also threatened to launch a leadership contest if Starmer does not set a timeline for stepping down. Starmer’s relationship with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is said to be broken; Miliband has been accused of ignoring the prime minister.
The by-election for Burnham’s mayoral post is expected to take place on July 30. A promising Labour candidate is Bev Craig, chair of Manchester City Council. However, Burnham is personally far more popular in the northwest than Craig. In the local elections in May, the right-wing populist Reform UK party heavily defeated Labour, making the mayoral election a tough challenge for the party.
Starmer stressed that he wants Burnham to win and called on party members to support him in the campaign. At the same time, he reiterated that he would fight a leadership dispute if necessary.
Source: www.theguardian.com
