On the eve of a by-election that could sound the death knell for his political career, Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to fight on. From the G7 summit in France, the Prime Minister made a few last-ditch attempts to try to put Andy Burnham off plunging the knife into his back a little while longer.
On one side are the Burnham loyalists, exuding confidence with a hint of cockiness. On the other are Starmer loyalists
One was the promise of a ‘big role in government’. The other was a reminder that Labour is about to be pulled into a high-stakes fight for the Manchester mayoralty. Sir Keir’s team are determined to delay a challenge so they can put as many hurdles in Burnham’s way as possible. They are desperate to maximise the time for scrutiny of his ideas – and to present opportunities for him to mess up.
The Prime Minister said: ‘Andy is a great asset. And, yes, I want him to have a big role in government.’ But he added: ‘We’re immediately tipped into a Manchester mayoral contest by-election, one of the biggest by-elections that we’ve ever fought, because of the scale of it. And it’s really important to my mind that the whole of the Labour party and Labour movement focuses on that, which is the next most immediate task.’
Unsurprisingly, neither argument landed with Burnham or his team. It took them only a matter of hours to laugh off the suggestions.
A world away in Makerfield, spirits at Labour’s campaign HQ are strange. The community centre serving as a base for activists and volunteers is fitted with a fully functioning bar, complete with an array of beers on draught. But the space has effectively been divided in two, physically separated by a wall. On one side are the Burnham loyalists, exuding confidence with a hint of cockiness. On the other are Starmer loyalists and Labour staffers navigating the awkwardness of knowing that their presence is not universally welcome.
The mood has been described by multiple people on the ground as frosty – though volunteers less immersed in internal party gripes appear more oblivious to the strange atmosphere. Others in the centre insist it’s all happy vibes. Hugh Grant has even made an appearance to show his support. Tonight, the HQ pub will host a screening of the England game, where perhaps the weirdness between the different sides will subside a little.
Labour says its activists have now knocked the entire constituency eight times. The party believes Reform’s candidate, Rob Kenyon, has made life a bit easier for them – particularly after his performance on Question Time.
While all attention is, naturally, on Makerfield, two other by-elections are also taking place tomorrow. Polls will open to elect new MPs for Aberdeen South as well as Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, their incumbents having resigned to join the Scottish parliament. The Tories are in with a shot in Aberdeen after focusing their campaign efforts on North Sea oil and gas. The SNP are favourites to retain Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.
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