Labour live: Starmer rejects calls to set out timetable to stand down if Burnham becomes MP

Keir Starmer has rejected calls to set out a timetable to stand down if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield by-election, saying “I’m not going to do that”.

It comes after Labour leadership Andy Burnham joked he needs a new pair of running shorts as he delivers a speech saying Britain ‘has been on the wrong path for 40 years’.

Speaking at the Great North Investment Summit in Leeds, Mr Burnham praised a “newly resurgent North of England” while also touching on the upcoming Makerfield by-election. He made his case about politics needing to “change” to work in northern England

This morning, the PM made a crunch speech to Labour staff at the party’s headquarters, where he promised he was “focused on the job” ahead of the Makerfield by-election.

The embattled PM told staff at the London HQ that he had come “to say a big thank you to you” after the party was dealt a drubbing in the local election results.

“It’s not been easy circumstances in the last 10 days. But you have just got on with the job that we asked you to do.” Starmer also promised that he is “focused on the job”, before adding that the Makerfield candidate – who is expected to be potential leadership hopeful Mr Burnham – would be revealed “very shortly”. He said: “So I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as Prime Minister of this country.

“Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying, ‘just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life’. And that is what I am going to be doing. We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is.

“Whoever they are I am going to support them one hundred per cent and I want every member, everyone in our movement to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in.”

New UpdatesView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostView PostToday15:17 BST

Growth in the “resilient” UK economy will be stronger this year than previously thought – but the Iran war will continue to have an impact on the cost of living, the IMF has said.

The International Monetary Fund updated its growth projections a month after warning of a sharp slowdown caused by the global energy shock.

The influential financial body said it was now predicting UK gross domestic product (GDP) to rise by 1% in 2026 – higher than the 0.8% growth it was forecasting last month.

Hailing the upgraded forecast, which puts Britain ahead of G7 rivals in Europe, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said it was “yet more proof that this government has the right economic plan.”

Benedict Tetzlaff-DeasToday14:57 BST

Sir Keir Starmer has rejected calls to set out a timetable to stand down if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield by-election, saying “I’m not going to do that”.

Andy Burnham has hosed down calls for Brexit to be reversed as battle lines are drawn in his expected leadership contest against Wes Streeting.

Mr Burnham, who is bidding to return to Parliament by becoming MP for Makerfield, said Britain would be stuck in a “permanent rut” if it gets stuck into arguing about Brexit again. The Greater Manchester Mayor made the comment after Mr Streeting floated the idea of rejoining the European Union, a decade after the 2016 referendum.

Mr Burnham told the Great Northern Investment Summit: “My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is rerun those arguments. Britain will be stuck in a permanent rut if we’re just constantly arguing and people are pulling away from each other.”

The crux of Burnham’s speech this afternoon was that, while he hopes to run for Makerfield MP, he has plans for the UK’s wider political landscape.

The mayor said: “It depends upon maximum devolution of power and resources from national government to local government, and I want anyone, obviously from the national system, to really understand that. We can’t have this halfway house anymore, where something gets devolved, but none of the people get devolved, and they sit there marking the homework of the combined authorities and finding new ways of putting pressure on us to do, to do something that they want. It’s time to trust, trust the region’s office of this country, free them up, let them get on with the job.

“It means less delivery through unaccountable national agencies, and it means more things coming under local democratic control, like our buses.

“We can’t go on with a bloated national state and a malnourished local one. It is time for public servants to be transferred into local authorities and combined authorities to give them the capacity and the agency to get things done. This is how we underpin the next decade of devolution.”

Liam DoyleToday14:14 BST

Andy Burnham said what had been offered in the past by Labour “has simply not been good enough”. He said “I’m clear about what I am offering. If I get to stand, a vote for me will be a vote to change Labour, because Labour needs to change if we are to regain people’s trust. It will be a vote to make life more affordable again, a vote to power up places, a vote to reindustrialise.

“This is the choice in this by-election. Do you want Makerfield and the North to stay on the same path it’s been for the last 40 years, or do you want a new path which brings the country back together and makes it work for everyone? I know why I’m standing, I know what I’m offering. I know what my party has offered in the past has simply not been good enough.”

Burnham’s speech putting himself forward for the Makerfield by-election included a broad, national pitch which saw the would-be Labour MP make the case for a more local-focused politics across the UK.

He said in his pitch that he would like to see the other parties “to my right” who had previously embraced the Thatcherite policies that “did us down” apologise and disown the former PM’s actions, while also committing to put their all into improving Makerfield.

He said he hopes that “people will give me the chance” to make the case for the constituency, for which he still is not the confirmed Labour candidate.

Liam DoyleToday13:56 BST

Burnham, now turning his attention solely to Makerfield, has said he wants to “say sorry” for the attention being brought to the constituency.

He said: “I really want to say sorry to the residents of the Makerfield constituency for the circus which is about to come into town.” His plans for residents, he said, would include upgrading local transport, prioritising technical education, and prioritising children, whose life chances politicians should be focusing on.

He added he would like to make council house building a priority, and would bring his expertise as Greater Manchester mayor to running the constituency while heartily criticising Whitehall.

Liam DoyleToday13:53 BST

Burnham has continued with his speech, after briefly quipping about advice he received about his choice of running attire, with a scathing critique of neoliberalism, which he has blamed for creating the conditions that have led to the country’s national issues.

He said councils across the country have been “hollowed out”, an argument he supported with the inability of some services to fix issues as simple as potholes. He said: “Local government should be given the things it needs to discharge its statutory responsibilities.”

Burnham has taken to the podium at this afternoon’s conference, where he has praised a “newly resurgent North of England” while also touching on the upcoming Makerfield by-election.

He made his case about politics needing to “change” to work in northern England, which the conference this afternoon is focused on. He said: “In my view the time has come for a bigger debate about how politics needs to change to work for the North of England. He adds: People are losing faith in politics…they deserve a bigger response than politicians have provided before.”

While the Labour candidate for Makerfield is yet to be revealed, Andy Burnham, who is expected to take up the nomination, is set to make a speech at a business event.

He is listed as a keynote speaker at the Great North Summit in Leeds – but it is currently unclear what he will say. If he does speak, it’ll be the first time he directly addresses the public today.

Liam DoyleToday12:53 BST

Downing Street has said in its latest statement that there is “no timetable” set for Sir Keir Starmer to depart from his position as Prime Minister.

The spokesperson said: “The deputy prime minister [David Lammy] this morning was quite clear. There’s no timetable. Delivering for the British people is the focus. That’s the job. The prime minister is fully focused on delivering change for working people.”

They added, echoing Starmer’s words: “The government is getting on with the job.”

Liam DoyleToday12:10 BST

Keir Starmer is probably feeling pretty angry with cabinet members over the rebellion he’s faced, according to his biographer.

Tom Baldwin, a former Labour communications director, told Times Radio the PM is likely feeling a “degree of shock” after last week’s drama. Mr Baldwin said: “I think there’s probably conflicting emotions. I think he feels pretty angry with some of his cabinet colleagues, or in Wes Streeting’s case, former cabinet colleagues.

“I think he feels a degree of shock about how fast this has happened. You can see there are problems coming but there’s, you know, once that kind of carnival of chaos the media assemble outside Downing Street, demanding, you know, we have a seventh prime minister in just 10 years.

“It’s hard to stop that momentum. I think also he feels, and some people listening won’t believe him but it’s true, he does feel a sense of duty about not wanting to unleash himself. Another bout of this chaos and turmoil that we saw three times under the last Conservative government. He doesn’t want to be responsible for that.

“I think he’s thinking about accountability and if he takes decisions now for which he’s not accountable for, that’s very difficult. So there’s a whole sort of sea of emotions churning around in him, as you might expect.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer this morning visited Labour Party headquarters in London.

He told staff: “I just wanted to come here to Labour Party headquarters to say a big thank you to you. The election results were not the ones that we wanted, they were really tough. But you worked your socks off.

“It’s not been easy circumstances in the last 10 days. But you have just got on with the job that we asked you to do.

“If you look at just some of the figures that came out last week. We had growth figures that were the best in the G7. That’s because of the hard work that we’ve done in government. On the economy we’ve got ourselves into a good position, having inherited a real basket case from the last government.

“The NHS figures were really good, which again vindicates what we did, which was invest in the NHS, which is what we said we would do.

“And that’s on top of all the other things… The Employment Rights Act. The biggest upgrade in renters’ rights in a generation.

“And then of course all the work that we are doing around child poverty, of which I am really proud. What a game changer that will be for a whole generation and will be measured for years and years to come because the children will feel the impact for the rest of their lives. They will have chances they wouldn’t otherwise have had.

“The election results tell us that people are frustrated, they don’t feel that their lives have changed quickly enough.

“We need to build up the urgency of what we do. We need a bit more hope in there. And we need to remember at all times what we are here to do. We were elected to government to serve the people of this country.

“And I remind myself every day that in July 2024 millions of people voted for us to come into government, to get on with the job, to govern, and to bring about the change that they want.

“So I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as Prime Minister of this country. Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying, ‘just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life’. And that is what I am going to be doing.

“We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is. Whoever they are I am going to support them one hundred per cent and I want every member, everyone in our movement to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in.”

Lizzy BuchanToday11:31 BST

Keir Starmer visited Labour HQ for a crunch speech today in which he commended staff for their work and insisted he was “focused on the job” ahead of the Makerfield by-election, a race he said was squarely between Labour and Reform.

He said: “I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as Prime Minister of this country. Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying, ‘just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life’. And that is what I am going to be doing.

“We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is. Whoever they are I am going to support them one hundred per cent and I want every member, everyone in our movement to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in.”

Labour’s Josh Simons has been appointed as Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern, the formal mechanism to quit as Makerfield MP, paving the way for Andy Burnham’s attempt to return to Westminster.

The date of the by-election in which Andy Burnham is expected to stand will likely be revealed on Tuesday, with today being the last day nominations can be entered for the race.

The writ for the by-election will be moved on Tuesday, Sky News reports, formally triggering the contest and revealing the date. Burnham has been given permission to stand down as Greater Manchester mayor to stand, but is yet to be confirmed as Labour’s candidate.

The Lib Dems plan to force Labour into a corner on Brexit – by demanding a vote on joining a customs union with the EU. An amendment to the King’s Speech calling on the UK to start negotiations with the bloc is expected to go to a vote on Wednesday.

Leader Sir Ed Davey said: “This is a make or break moment for Labour MPs – especially those considering running to lead their party. Actions speak louder than words. Anyone in the Labour Party who is serious about changing direction and offering people hope again should back our amendment calling for a closer trade deal with the EU.

“That includes Andy Burnham who should encourage his Labour colleagues in Parliament to back it. We can’t solve the cost-of-living crisis without repairing the damage done by Nigel Farage and the Conservatives’ terrible Brexit deal. That starts by negotiating a customs union with the EU to cut red tape, boost businesses and turbocharge the economy. This is a vital first step towards rebuilding the UK’s relationship with Europe, putting us on the path towards EU membership in the long term.”

Dave BurkeToday10:07 BST

David Lammy has suggested that discussion about Brexit is a “sixth form debate” as he insisted the Government has not changed course.

Mr Lammy told the BBC’s Today Programme: “The promises that were made by Nigel Farage upon Brexit that we would get richer – well, they proved to be wrong, we are poorer as a result. The promises he made on immigration that it would come down. He was wrong. It has gone up. I wish that we were being crystal clear about what Reform and Nigel Farage would deliver and have delivered for this country.” But he went on: “We stood on our manifesto, 22 months ago. It was a manifesto that had clear red lines.

“But I made a commitment as the Shadow Foreign Secretary and then as Foreign Secretary that we would be reconnecting with Europe.” Pressed about Mr Streeting’s remark at the weekend, he said: “This is not a sixth form debate. It is delivery on behalf of the British people.”

Dave BurkeToday09:52 BST

Wes Streeting has become the latest Labour figure to debut in public wearing running gear, with the former Health Secretary seen leaving his East London home this morning for some exercise.

The Prime Minister, on the other hand, was seen looking cheerful as he left Number 10 this morning in the only besuited major Labour emergence so far.

Andy Burnham was seen this morning sporting an all-new running outfit as he left his house this morning, after he admitted he was given sage advice by a member of the public.

After watching Everton lose to Sunderland over the weekend, Burnham said he would aim to “change Labour back to the party people used to know”, while adding: “Appreciate all the advice and agree with the main consensus: ‘Get new running shorts’.”

Continuing on his appraisal of the reintroduction of the Brexit debate to the Labour ranks, Mr Hinder warned that the party is wrapped in an existential crisis, and that it exhibits “a staggering level of out-of-touch-ness”.

He warned the party is experiencing an existential crisis after taking a beating in its working class heartlands, and said: “The idea that we can reconnect to our working class base by reopening this debate is just a staggering level of out-of-touch-ness.”

Dave BurkeToday09:02 BST

A Labour backbencher has voiced his disbelief that Wes Streeting has reopened the debate about Brexit. Jonathan Hinder said most voters would think he was “off his rocker” if he started talking about rejoining the EU after years of chaos. Asked if he welcomed the new debate about Brexit, Labour MP Jonathan Hinder told the Today Programme: “Absolutely not.”

He went on: “I’m astonished that we’ve got to this stage so quickly in this Labour leadership contest, because that’s what it is.”If I went into the Wallace Hartley pub in my constituency and I said to them ‘you know that thing we just did which paralyzed our politics, which tore our country apart, that we said we were done with, we were leaving in the past because it’s finally been delivered?’. If I said to them we’re going to reopen it, and we’re going to reopen it all. In fact, the single market is going to be back on the table with freedom of movement, the single currency, Schengen, what’s our budget arrangements going to be with the EU? They would rightly look at me as if I had gone mad. They’d say, ‘you are off your rocker if you think the priority for the British people right now is to restart this debate’.”

Dave BurkeToday08:53 BST

A spokesperson for Burnham has said the would-be candidate is “working hard for every vote” in the Makerfield constituency, and, as such, won’t be standing on a national manifesto.

Speaking to the Telegraph, they said: “Andy is fully focused on working hard for every vote in Makerfield so he can represent them in Parliament. Andy is not standing on a national manifesto at this election; he is standing to make a difference for the people of Makerfield and to bring the change he has delivered in Greater Manchester to the national stage.”

If there’s one thing Andy Burnham could do without, it’s talk about Brexit. A decade after the divisive referendum on leaving the EU, it’s still a thorny issue. So Wes Streeting’s intervention, saying he would reopen the debate about rejoining the bloc, could not come at a worse time for the Greater Manchester Mayor.

He’s trying to win a by-election in a constituency that voted heavily for Brexit, and Nigel Farage will love the chance to fight this battle again. Mr Burnham’s camp has already described the former Health Secretary’s remark as “unhelpful”, and even accused him of sabotage. It’s worth remembering what a huge gamble Mr Burnham has taken by standing in Makerfield.

A bit of number-crunching makes alarming reading. In the local elections, Reform picked up 50.4% of votes for council wards in the constituency. That was more than double Labour’s 22.7%, while the Greens got 10.9%. And there isn’t a huge margin for error – Labour won with a majority of 5,399 in Makerfield at the general election, but Reform still secured more than 12,000 votes.

Dave BurkeToday08:27 BST

Justice Secretary David Lammy said today that he would “of course” go to Makerfield and campaign alongside Burnham during the upcoming by-election.

Drawing on his history with Burnham, he said the two were “proteges back in the Tony Blair government”. He went further, describing him as a “great guy, a very able politician, wonderful communicator”. He added: “It would be great to have him back in Parliament.”

Burnham allies have highlighted that a “perilous” competition awaits the much-loved metro mayor in Makerfield, where Reform has been making inroads with its anti-immigrant rhetoric.

One ally speaking to The Guardian gave Burnham a 45 percent chance that he could win in the constituency, saying: “It’s impossible to underscore how perilous this is. I would give Andy a 45% chance of winning, maybe a bit more than that.

“It’s compelling to say tell progressive voters to vote for Andy to get Starmer out, but the flip side is you’re saying to Reform voters that if they vote Reform they can finish the Labour party off for good.”

Liam DoyleToday08:03 BST

Wes Streeting’s comments did not go down well over the weekend, with politicians on both sides of the aisle quickly piling on criticism. Among them was Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who dubbed te resurrecting of the Brexit spectre as “a bit odd”, despite largely agreeing with them.

While she admitted that the country should not have left the EU, she said she didn’t “really understand why the sudden focus on Europe”.