Andy Burnham has said he is standing in the Makerfield by-election to "save" Labour, warning that the party has "not been good enough".
The Greater Manchester mayor will be allowed to stand in Labour’s candidate selection process for the Makerfield by-election, taking him a step closer to challenging Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the party.
It comes as Wes Streeting said he will be running for Labour leader after delivering his first speech today since resigning as the country’s health secretary.
“We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I’ll be standing,” he told reporters at a conference in central London.
Mr Streeting dramatically quit his ministerial role on Thursday, and he used a speech at the Progress conference to lay out his platform, including eventually rejoining the EU.
His allies say he will run in any potential Labour leadership contest despite his glowing endorsement that Andy Burnham is Labour’s “best chance of winning” the Makerfield by-election.
Education secretary Bridget Philipson told BBC Radio 4’s The Week in Westminster programme that Mr Burnham would be a “strong candidate” but said Sir Keir had her “full support”.
Read MoreThere’s one good reason Starmer still thinks he has what it takes
Manchester is booming – but not because of Andy Burnham
Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data shows
Key Points
- Streeting calls for return to EU as he makes leadership bid
- Andy Burnham approved to stand in by-election
- Bridget Philipson says Andy Burnham is 'strong candidate' but Starmer has her 'full support'
- Analysis: Why Makerfield will be a tough battleground for Labour in a by-election
- Can Andy Burnham actually beat Reform to take on Starmer? Here’s what the data shows
- Analysis: Streeting resignation deepens Starmer's leadership crisis
- Andy Burnham says he is running in election to 'save' Labour
Dozens arrested as tens of thousands join rival London protests
08:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTens of thousands gathered in London for Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march and a pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally, as police mounted a £4.5 million operation to prevent clashes between rival groups.
At least 43 people were arrested across both demonstrations for a “variety of offences”, the Metropolitan Police said, adding that while the number “may seem high, to this point both protests have proceeded largely without significant incident”.
More than 4,000 police officers were deployed to the capital with 660 being drafted in from forces outside the Met to prepare for an “unprecedented” security operation. Armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, drones and helicopters were also on the scene.
Read more here:
Dozens arrested as tens of thousands join rival London protests
Key points from Wes Streeting speech as he launches leadership bid with pledge to rejoin EU
08:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWes Streeting confirmed he will be standing, should a Labour leadership contest to replace Sir Keir Starmer be triggered.
“We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I’ll be standing,” he told reporters at a conference in central London on Saturday.
Mr Streeting, who this week stood down as health secretary, also insisted he did have enough support among MPs to trigger a contest, but suggested his challenge would “lack legitimacy” without rival Andy Burnham being given a chance to return to Parliament.
Read more here:
Key points from Streeting speech as he launches leadership bid
Burnham expected to drop call to reverse Brexit as poll shows voters divided on PM prospects
07:54 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAndy Burnham is expected to drop his call to reverse Brexit as he faces a crunch by-election that could see him return to Westminster and even potentially enter No 10.
He will, however, still call for close ties between the UK and the European Union, according to reports.
The man who could be the UK’s next prime minister must first win the seat of Makerfield, which voted to leave the EU in 2016.
If Mr Burnham wins that seat, he would face a challenge from former health secretary Wes Streeting, who has confirmed he will be standing, should a Labour leadership contest to replace Sir Keir Starmer be triggered.
Read more here:
Burnham expected to drop call to reverse Brexit as poll shows voters split
Andy Burnham says he is running in election to 'save' Labour
07:00 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham has said he is running in the Makerfield by-election to "save" Labour.
Speaking to the BBC, the mayor for Greater Manchester said Labour has to acknowledge it has "not been good enough", adding it "requires a lot of change".
"I want Labour solidly to be the part of working class people people are working class and that requires a lot of change,” he added.
It comes after he was given the go ahead by the NEC to run in the by-election.
Watch: Wes Streeting warns Labour risks ‘being handmaidens to Farage’ in first speech since resignation
06:00 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham calls for eduction reform to make technical education equal
05:00 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham has called for an education reform and called to end the housing crisis.
In an interview with the Mirror Mr Burnham outlines his policies and said he wanted to reform education and make technical education the equal of the academic university route.
He also warned there would be no stability in Britain until “we end the housing crisis” and called for more council houses.
The Manchester Mayor also said he backed proportional representation in Westminster elections to help build a “new politics and a different way of thinking”.
Voices: What if Makerfield by-election voters tell Andy Burnham to jog on?
04:00 , Rebecca WhittakerManchester’s mayor is at high risk of failure in his bid to return to the Commons, says John Rentoul – a loss that would leave the Labour government seriously weakened.
Read more here:
What if Makerfield voters tell Andy Burnham to jog on?
Watch: How many prime ministers has Larry the cat seen?
03:00 , Rebecca WhittakerVoters split on whether Andy Burnham looks like a PM in waiting, new poll finds
02:00 , Rebecca WhittakerA new poll, by YouGov, has found 31 per cent of people believe the Greater Manchester Mayor does currently look like a prime minster in waiting - but close to the same number, 27 per cent, think he does not.
And 42 per cent are unsure.When it comes to Labour voters the numbers are better, however.
46 per cent believe he looks like a PM in waiting vs 20 per cent who do not.
Things are also better in his political backyard of the North, where the figures are 38 vs 27 per cent.
Labour needs a 'battle of ideas, not personalities,' minister says
01:00 , Rebecca WhittakerLabour needs to have a “battle of ideas”, not of personalities, a minister has said amid ongoing talk of a leadership challenge to replace Sir Keir Starmer.
Communities minister Alison McGovern told the Progress think tank’s conference in London that Labour had been left “reeling” from its election defeats last week, adding: “Too often I think we’ve been caught up in the wrong kind of battle. It’s a battle of ideas that’s needed, not a battle of personalities.
“I must be in the top percent of people in the country most interested in politics, and if all the political news, half low-grade soap opera, half predictable horse race, makes me want to switch off, God knows what anyone just trying to get on with their life thinks.
“So we have to put forward our ideas in a way that’s new, not the old battles of left and right swinging it out, but practical progressive ideas that show our values.”
In a further hint at Labour’s ongoing internal ructions, Ms McGovern later said that leadership in progressive ideas is “never provided by just one man, but by each and every one of us in this room”.
“That will carry us towards the next election with hope in our hearts,” she added.
Another Reform candidate resigns after vetting failure – and councils are forced to pick up the bill
00:00 , Rebecca WhittakerJust days after being elected, one of Reform UK’s 53 new councillors in Essex, Stuart Prior, was already heading for the door, having handed in his resignation.
Six months earlier he allegedly authored social media posts in which he celebrated a Sikh woman being raped in the Midlands, described Muslim people as “rats” and wrote that white people were the “master race”.
Confronted by the Mirror over the posts ahead of the election, Mr Prior said he “did not recall” the tweets, despite the journalist pointing out that pictures of the candidate’s house and dog also featured in posts from the same account.
Read more here:
Another Reform candidate resigns after vetting failure as councils forced to pay
Scrapped clean air scheme could cost Burnham the by-election, Conservative claims
23:28 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham’s scrapped clean air scheme could cost him the by-election, according to Laura Evans, the Conservative Party spokesman in Greater Manchester.
She accused the Mayor of Greater Manchester of wasting £100m on a taxpayer-funded “clean air zone” in Manchester that ended up being scrapped following a backlash from drivers.
Evans said the clean air scheme was “totally unnecessary” and a “total waste” and a “flagrant misuse” of taxpayer money, the Telegraph reported.
“I think that will cost him. Where he is standing, that was one of the most virulent areas against the clean air zone, so they are not going to forget that,” she said.
Recap: Former health secretary says he would campaign for Andy Burnham
23:00 , Rebecca WhittakerWes Streeting has said he will campaign for Andy Burnham, should he be the Labour candidate in the upcoming Makerfield by-election.
Asked by an audience member what would happen in a future Labour leadership contest should Mr Burnham not win the seat, the former health secretary said: “First of all, we’ve got to be in it to win it in Makerfield, I know there’ll be differences of opinion about whether it was right for Josh Simons to vacate the seat in the way that he did is a hell of a risk, but I honestly think that if anyone could win that by-election, Andy Burnham can.
“And I’ll be out there going door-knocking day after day to help get him elected. I hope all of you will too.
“I love a by-election. I wish we didn’t have so many of them, and I’ll be proud to campaign for Andy Burnham.”
Watch: Wes Streeting announces Labour leadership bid
22:30 , Rebecca WhittakerBurnham criticises 'deindustrialisation and privatisation' for lack of jobs
22:00 , Rebecca WhittakerThe “deindustrialisation and privatisation” of the UK has left areas like Makerfield “without good jobs and people unable to afford the basics,” Andy Burnham said speaking to Channel 4 News.
He said: “We need a different path completely. What is that path? Put more things back under stronger public control: energy, housing, water, transport.
“I’ve done that with buses in Greater Manchester. I was the first to do it. Margaret Thatcher deregulated them … and then they just work for the private shareholders and not for the paying public.
“I put them back under public control with the £2 fares, so you take that principle and apply it to energy and apply to the water – that’s what I think we need to do.”
Labour risks becoming 'handmaidens' to Nigel Farage, warns Streeting
21:40 , Rebecca WhittakerWes Streeting warned Labour risks becoming “handmaidens” to Nigel Farage in the next general election in his speech.
He said voters in last week's election "issued a warning".
"Never again must we allow a tyranny of silence in the name of party unity to send us on to avoidable defeat," he says, adding that this is why he has called "for a battle of ideas, not personalities".
He says Labour arrived in government "underprepared", which led to the "early catastrophe" of the winter fuel cut.
For the "first time in history", Labour's biggest opponent is Reform UK and Nigel Farage, not the Conservative Party, he adds.
Streeting says that "unless we change course", Labour stand to lose a General Election to Nigel Farage - becoming "handmaidens" to the Reform UK leader "and the breakup of the United Kingdom".
"Imagine the consequences," he says.
Watch: Streeting resignation deepens Starmer's leadership crisis
21:20 , Rebecca WhittakerEditorial: The serious problems Labour’s would-be leaders will need to address
21:00 , Rebecca WhittakerWhat is so remarkable about the crisis of leadership convulsing the Labour government is that it is all about process and personality rather than policy. It was triggered by Catherine West, a backbench MP who wanted the cabinet to change the prime minister without a leadership election but who now says that, if there is a leadership election, she might vote to keep Sir Keir Starmer.
Read more here:
The serious problems Labour’s would-be leaders will need to address
Recap: Andy Burnham says he is running in election to 'save' Labour
20:45 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham has said he is running in the Makerfield by-election to "save" Labour.
Speaking to the BBC, the mayor for Greater Manchester said Labour has to acknowledge it has "not been good enough", adding it "requires a lot of change".
"I want Labour solidly to be the part of working class people people are working class and that requires a lot of change,” he added.
It comes after he was given the go ahead by the NEC to run in the by-election.
Andy Burnham calls for eduction reform to make technical education equal
20:30 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham has called for an education reform and called to end the housing crisis.
In an interview with the Mirror Mr Burnham outlines his policies and said he wanted to reform education and make technical education the equal of the academic university route.
He also warned there would be no stability in Britain until “we end the housing crisis” and called for more council houses.
The Manchester Mayor also said he backed proportional representation in Westminster elections to help build a “new politics and a different way of thinking”.
Burnham compares 'true character of Reform' to Margaret Thatcher
20:15 , Rebeca WhittakerIn his first full interview after his return to national politics this week, Andy Burnham has highlighted that the UK has been on the “wrong path” since the 1980s.
He stressed that all parties had let the public down, including Labour, in an interview with the Mirror. But he took a hit at Nigel Farage, comparing Reform to Margaret Thatcher.
He said: “When Britain went on that wrong path in the 1980s, that devastation that communities like these felt, the leadership of Reform were the arch Thatcherites and I think people need to understand what they are. I hope the true character of Reform is tested in this, what do they actually believe?”
Manchester is booming – but not because of Andy Burnham
20:00 , Rebecca WhittakerThe so-called King of the North is set to challenge Keir Starmer to become the next prime minister. But in Manchester, he has ridden a wave first generated by two other unsung heroes, writes Chris Blackhurst
Read more here:
Manchester is booming – but not because of Andy Burnham
Watch: Wes Streeting warns Labour risks ‘being handmaidens to Farage’ in first speech since resignation
19:41 , Rebecca WhittakerBurnham expected to drop call to reverse Brexit as poll shows voters divided on PM prospects
19:20 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham is expected to drop his call to reverse Brexit as he faces a crunch by-election that could see him return to Westminster and even potentially enter No 10.
He will, however, still call for close ties between the UK and the European Union, according to reports.
The man who could be the UK’s next prime minister must first win the seat of Makerfield, which voted to leave the EU in 2016.
Read more here:
Burnham expected to drop call to reverse Brexit as poll shows voters split
Former Communities Minister says Labour needs to include Burnham in leadership race
18:59 , Rebecca WhittakerFormer Communities Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh, who was the first minister to resign from Keir Starmer's government after the elections, said she doesn’t think Labour can have a leadership race without Andy Burnham.
Speaking to the BBC's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast she said: "I don't think you can have a leadership race without him in because... he commands so much support within the Labour movement."
She added that his track record in the city "suggests that you can have a vision, you can have a project, and you can execute it in the way that can lift your communities up".
Andy Burnham says UK has been on the 'wrong path' for 40 years
18:45 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham believes the UK has been on the “wrong path” for decades.
The Manchester Mayor told ITV News that he will take the fight for ordinary people if he wins the by-election.
He told the broadcaster: “The path that Britain has been on for 40 years, in my view, has been the wrong path,” he said. “It’s taken us to this place where people can’t afford life’s basics, they can’t afford a few pints at the weekend, they can’t afford a holiday.
“And that’s why they’re saying to politicians, do better. This is not good enough. And they’re right to say that.”
He added that the UK needs to take a different approach and to build a new economy.
Watch: Burnham standing in by-election is betrayal of constituents, Starmer voter says
18:30 , Rebecca WhittakerLabour risks becoming 'handmaidens' to Nigel Farage, warns Streeting
18:15 , Rebecca WhittakerWes Streeting warned Labour risks becoming “handmaidens” to Nigel Farage in the next general election in his speech.
He said voters in last week's election "issued a warning".
"Never again must we allow a tyranny of silence in the name of party unity to send us on to avoidable defeat," he says, adding that this is why he has called "for a battle of ideas, not personalities".
He says Labour arrived in government "underprepared", which led to the "early catastrophe" of the winter fuel cut.
For the "first time in history", Labour's biggest opponent is Reform UK and Nigel Farage, not the Conservative Party, he adds.
Streeting says that "unless we change course", Labour stand to lose a General Election to Nigel Farage - becoming "handmaidens" to the Reform UK leader "and the breakup of the United Kingdom".
"Imagine the consequences," he says.
Recap: Wes Streeting confirms he will be standing in Labour leadership contest
18:00 , Rebecca WhittakerWes Streeting confirmed he will be standing, should a Labour leadership contest to replace Sir Keir Starmer be triggered.
“We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I’ll be standing,” he told reporters at a conference in central London.
Mr Streeting, who this week stood down as health secretary, also insisted he did have enough support among MPs to trigger a contest, but suggested his challenge would “lack legitimacy” without rival Andy Burnham being given a chance to return to Parliament.
He told the Progress think tank conference: “Firstly, I do have support in the parliamentary party, but this week I also had a choice.
“We could have rushed straight into a leadership contest, knowing not all of the candidates would be on the pitch, that Andy Burnham was about to stand in a by-election, and that if we had rushed ahead without giving Andy a chance to stand, the new leader, whether it was me or anyone else, would lack the legitimacy, and so we would end up extending instability and uncertainty.
“That might have been the self-interested thing to do for candidates who are in Parliament presently, but it wasn’t in the party’s interest and wasn’t in the national interest.”
Conservative MP responds to Wes Streeting's campaign launch speech
17:39 , Rebecca WhittakerChairman of the Conservative Party, MP Kevin Hollinrake, responded to Wes Streeting’s speech today where he announced he will be running for Labour leader.
Mr Hollinrake said:“Whilst Labour relitigate Brexit, Britain is not being governed.
“This is yet another distraction from the day job at a time when families and businesses want the Government focused on the cost of living, the economy, public services and Britain’s defence.
“But there is an alternative. Kemi Badenoch and the Conservatives have a clear plan in our Alternative King’s Speech to build a Stronger Economy and a Stronger Country.”
‘Starmer is doing nothing, but Burnham is for the people’: Makerfield voters pin their hopes on the ‘King of the North’
17:30 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham intends to stand to be the next MP for Makerfield, but would its voters welcome the ‘King of the North’? Dan Haygarth finds out...
Does the ‘King of the North’ have what it takes to keep Makerfield red?
Burnham says UK has been on 'wrong path' for decades
17:15 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham says he believes the UK has been “on the wrong path” for the past 40 years.
Speaking to the BBC he said: “It started de-industrialisation, de-regulation of the buses, privatisation of life's essentials."
"We need to fix politics, to fix the economy, get the basics back under public control so that people can afford their rent, energy bills.”
Burnham expected to drop call to reverse Brexit as poll shows voters divided on PM prospects
17:00 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham is expected to drop his call to reverse Brexit as he faces a crunch by-election that could see him return to Westminster and even potentially enter No 10.
He will, however, still call for close ties between the UK and the European Union (EU), according to reports.
The man who could be the UK’s next prime minister must first win the seat of Makerfield, which voted to leave the EU in 2016.
Read more here:
Burnham expected to drop call to reverse Brexit as poll shows voters split
Key points from Wes Streeting speech as he launches leadership bid with pledge to rejoin EU
16:45 , Rebecca Whittaker Key points from Streeting speech as he launches leadership bid
Watch: Wes Streeting announces Labour leadership bid
16:30 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham says he is running in election to 'save' Labour
16:20 , Rebecca WhittakerAndy Burnham has said he is running in the Makerfield by-election to "save" Labour.
Speaking to the BBC, the mayor for Greater Manchester said Labour has to acknowledge it has "not been good enough", adding it "requires a lot of change".
"I want Labour solidly to be the part of working class people people are working class and that requires a lot of change,” he added.
It comes after he was given the go ahead by the NEC to run in the by-election.
Former health secretary says he would campaign for Andy Burnham
16:15 , Rebecca WhittakerWes Streeting has said he will campaign for Andy Burnham, should he be the Labour candidate in the upcoming Makerfield by-election.
Asked by an audience member what would happen in a future Labour leadership contest should Mr Burnham not win the seat, the former health secretary said: “First of all, we’ve got to be in it to win it in Makerfield, I know there’ll be differences of opinion about whether it was right for Josh Simons to vacate the seat in the way that he did is a hell of a risk, but I honestly think that if anyone could win that by-election, Andy Burnham can.
“And I’ll be out there going door-knocking day after day to help get him elected. I hope all of you will too.
“I love a by-election. I wish we didn’t have so many of them, and I’ll be proud to campaign for Andy Burnham.”
Streeting pledges to take on 'vested interests' in housing
15:59 , Maryam Zakir-HussainOur Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Wes Streeting has told the conference that “if we are not building homes for the next generation then we are failing the next generation”.
He added that when it came to the natural environment “the species I’m most worried about at the moment are children who living in mouldy bed and breakfasts".
Streeting calls for return to EU as he makes leadership bid
15:47 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWes Streeting has said leaving the EU was a “catastrophic mistake” as he called for a new “special relationship” with the union.
He said: “Today’s politics must deal with the immediate issues that concern voters - affordability, small boats, the NHS - but we also need it to rise to the big issues that define our age. We need a bigger politics. Let’s embrace diversity of thought and competition for ideas as a strength.
“We won’t find radical solutions by ignoring ideas in favour of just problem solving – as though government is the same as management consultancy – or if we believe that one person or one political tradition has a monopoly on ideas and wisdom.
“At the core are three big important choices we have to make as a country that can help us regain our sense of progress.
“First, leaving the European Union was a catastrophic mistake. In 2026, the British people increasingly see that in a dangerous world, we must club together, both to rebuild our economy and trade, and improve our defence against the shared threats from Russian aggression and America First. The biggest economic opportunity we have is on our doorstep. We need a new Special Relationship with the EU, because Britain’s future lies with Europe - and one day back in the European Union.
Wes Streeting confirms he will be standing in Labour leadership contest
15:44 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWes Streeting confirmed he will be standing, should a Labour leadership contest to replace Sir Keir Starmer be triggered.
“We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I’ll be standing,” he told reporters at a conference in central London.
Mr Streeting, who this week stood down as health secretary, also insisted he did have enough support among MPs to trigger a contest, but suggested his challenge would “lack legitimacy” without rival Andy Burnham being given a chance to return to Parliament.
He told the Progress think tank conference: “Firstly, I do have support in the parliamentary party, but this week I also had a choice.
“We could have rushed straight into a leadership contest, knowing not all of the candidates would be on the pitch, that Andy Burnham was about to stand in a by-election, and that if we had rushed ahead without giving Andy a chance to stand, the new leader, whether it was me or anyone else, would lack the legitimacy, and so we would end up extending instability and uncertainty.
“That might have been the self-interested thing to do for candidates who are in Parliament presently, but it wasn’t in the party’s interest and wasn’t in the national interest.”
'Nigel Farage and Reform seek to exploit division and hatred to benefit from it'
15:28 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWes Streeting added: “We’ve also seen Jews murdered and attacked in their shuls and on our streets, kids in my constituency trying to hide their school uniforms and stars of David because they fear being abused or attacked just for being Jewish. ‘Globalise the intifada’ in deeds, not just words.
“Nigel Farage and Reform seek to exploit division and hatred to benefit from it. And when it comes to antisemitism on the left, the Green Party choose to look the other way because their party is now riddled with that which we expelled.
“This is our fight. It has always been Labour’s fight. Not just to confront the forces of racism, discrimination and hatred, but to build a path to a better and brighter future for everyone.”
15:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain 15:20 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWes Streeting went on: “We’ve seen mosques set on fire and vandalised, Muslim women harassed because of what they wear. Diminishing our country and forgetting our history: that the fight for Britain’s liberty was also a fight against fascism, waged by people from these islands alongside the largest volunteer army in the history of the world - made up of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs from India and troops from across the modern Commonwealth.
“There are no second-class citizens in this country. Black, white, rich, poor, gay, straight, religious, atheist, man, woman: that flag belongs to all of us, not just some of us.”
'Labour must confront racism, not just explain it'- Streeting
15:19 , Maryam Zakir-HussainOn the far-right march through London today, Streeting said Labour must confront racism, not explain it.
He said: “Today, Tommy Robinson and his followers are marching through the streets of our capital city. The last time he did, ministers were sent out by Number 10 with a media script to explain the march, rather than condemn it.
“What we’ve experienced in our country in recent months is a type of racism we haven’t seen on our streets since the 1970s and 80s. Our country’s flags flown from lampposts and flyovers, not as a symbol of national pride, but as a symbol of division: a message that those flags belongs to people who look like me and not people who look like our Mayor of London.”
'We need a proper contest where all candidates put their best foot forward'
15:16 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe former health secretary went on: “As a result, we arrived in government underprepared in too many areas and lacking clarity of vision and direction.
“Questions which had gone unanswered in opposition couldn’t be ignored in office, leading to the early catastrophe of the winter fuel cut.
“We’ve carried this culture into government, with a heavy-handed approach that has seen backbenchers scolded for interesting private members bills which weren't the government's policy – like banning smartphones in schools.
“That's why we need a proper contest where all candidates can put their best foot forward. It's got to be a battle of ideas so that whoever wins comes out stronger for it.”
Labour risks being the 'handmaiden of Nigel Farage'- Streeting
15:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainLabour risks being “the handmaiden of Nigel Farage” unless the party changes course, Wes Streeting has said.
Speaking in London this afternoon, he said: “Labour has been in existence for 126 years and in power for only 35. Our time in government is precious. We must not waste it.
“Change begins with an argument. You don’t make progress without one. That’s why this week, I called for a battle of ideas, not personalities.
“We haven't had a debate in the Labour Party about who and what we're for in more than a decade. Corbyn's leadership was marred by factionalism.
“The moral emergency of antisemitism in our party left little room for intellectual renewal or policy debate on the centre left.
“We then had a dishonest leadership contest, followed by an overcautiousness in opposition. Interesting policy ideas couldn't be floated because we were too afraid of what the Tories might say, so we said nothing.
Instead of a willingness to challenge ideas and kick the tyres, debate was viewed as division and shut down.”
15:12 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWatch Wes Streeting’s speech live here:
Wes Streeting begins speech at Progress conference in London
15:10 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWes Streeting is delivering his speech at the Progress conference in London.
He said: “Last week’s election results were unprecedented.
“The first time in our country’s history, nationalists are in power in every corner of the United Kingdom.”
Burnham will ‘fight to highest level’ but says he is not focused on replacing PM
14:59 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAndy Burnham has claimed he is focused on winning a seat in Parliament, rather than ousting Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister.
But the Mayor of Greater Manchester also said he was prepared to “fight to the highest level” if he is successful in contesting and then winning the Makerfield by-election, which could allow him a path back to Westminster and to challenge Sir Keir’s authority.
Mr Burnham also said a “big change moment is needed” following a bruising set of elections for Labour in England, Scotland, and Wales.
The Greater Manchester Mayor’s path back to Parliament is far from straightforward, as Reform has promised to throw all of its resources into the campaign for the Makerfield by-election, where sitting Labour MP Josh Simons resigned to give Mr Burnham a chance to return to Westminster.
Speaking to Channel 4 News on Saturday, Mr Burnham was asked if he had made a deliberate tilt at the Reform-facing constituency to show he can beat Nigel Farage’s party.
He replied: “I was very deliberate in speaking to Josh (Simons) and both of us have got the same diagnosis.
“I was the MP for Leigh years ago, Josh the MP for Makerfield. We have both felt the frustration of facing a Westminster system that just does not have answers for these streets, these communities.
“And you know, we both feel a big change moment is needed. And I wouldn’t have just gone anywhere like a carpet bagger, you know, any old constituency.
“It matters to me that I have a connection. I live literally on the edge of this constituency.”
Business secretary describes Streeting as 'legendary'
14:18 , Maryam Zakir-HussainBusiness secretary Peter Kyle would not be drawn into saying whether he would support his ally Wes Streeting should the former health secretary make a bid for the Labour leadership.
Mr Kyle described his former Cabinet colleague as “legendary”, as he appeared at a think tank’s conference in central London.
The Business Secretary told the Progress conference: “As Emily says in The Devil Wears Prada, ‘You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls’.”
He added: “Well, Wes is legendary, and a good, solid, courageous friend who is a talent that is much-needed by this party.”
Asked by reporters if this meant he would back Mr Streeting should he stand in a Labour leadership contest, Mr Kyle replied: “Let’s just be really clear about the world we are in at the moment. The Labour Party is in Government, and we’ve just had a convulsive period.
“In fact, we’re still in that convulsive period, and we have to do two things, which the Tories failed to do: to govern in the interests of people and see our way through what is a challenging time, and I think people can see from the way that I’m acting that I’m trying to do both in a serious, sensible way that will show voters, show people, that I am never ever taken away from their priorities.”
UK government will ‘grind to a halt’ amid leadership race, say ministers
14:00 , Rebecca ThomasParts of the government will “grind to a halt” ministers have reportedly told the Financial Times.
Speaking to the FT, concerned ministers claimed initiatives such as the UK’s push for closer UK relations with the EU will be disrupted.
One minister reportedly said: “We will have months where the business of daily government will have to grind to a halt, and it will just look like limbo,” said one cabinet minister. “The public aren’t going to forget this.”
Another minister said: “Take something like the defence investment plan, which is already delayed. I can’t see us being able to get that sorted out any time soon.”
Minister urges Labour ‘battle of ideas’ amid talk of challenge to PM
13:30 , Rebecca ThomasLabour needs to have a “battle of ideas”, not of personalities, a minister has said amid ongoing talk of a leadership challenge to replace Sir Keir Starmer.
Speaking at the Progress conference on Saturday morning ahead of Mr Streeting’s appearance, communities minister Alison McGovern said Labour had been left “reeling” from its election defeats last week.
But she also added: “Too often I think we’ve been caught up in the wrong kind of battle. It’s a battle of ideas that’s needed, not a battle of personalities.
“I must be in the top per cent of people in the country most interested in politics, and if all the political news, half low-grade soap opera, half predictable horse race, makes me want to switch off, God knows what anyone just trying to get on with their life thinks.
“So we have to put forward our ideas in a way that’s new, not the old battles of left and right swinging it out, but practical progressive ideas that show our values.”
