Resign or Risk a Coup: Burnham’s Allies Warn Starmer After Makerfield

Political Turmoil in the Labour Party

Keir Starmer is facing a potential coup within days if he does not step down for Andy Burnham. Senior figures within the Labour Party, including some Cabinet ministers, have reportedly informed the Prime Minister that his time is up following Burnham’s decisive victory in the Makerfield by-election.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is among those who have reportedly urged Sir Keir to outline a timetable for stepping down this summer. A senior Labour source told the Daily Mail that the PM faces a critical showdown at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting unless he agrees to step down by then. “The challenge for the next few days is to force him out and get him to accept the reality of his position,” the source added.

“If he continues to resist, things could come to a head at Cabinet. People are not going to be fobbed off this time, because the choice is either a fairly orderly transition or an extremely bitter contest that damages the entire Government.”

One Cabinet source described the situation as “the game is up,” while a minister referred to Sir Keir as a “dead man walking” and indicated readiness to resign if the PM attempted to cling to power.

Burnham’s Victory and New Direction

Mr Burnham has vowed to set “a new path for Britain” after comfortably defeating a challenge from Reform UK to return to Westminster. The self-styled “King of the North” stated that his election as MP for Makerfield was the “final chance” for Labour to reconnect with the public after a disastrous first two years in power. His victory is seen as a “turning point” for the country.

His potential leadership is expected to shift the party further to the left. He has already committed to costly policies such as nationalization of utilities, significant investment in council housing, and the revival of the northern leg of HS2. These proposals have raised concerns about higher taxes.

Burnham’s right-hand woman, former transport secretary Louise Haigh, warned that the PM faces a “brutal” end unless he agrees to step down. She mentioned that Burnham has a leadership campaign “ready to go,” although his supporters are privately pushing for a coronation to avoid a contentious contest.

However, Sir Keir remains determined to fight on, stating that a leadership contest would plunge the party into “chaos.” He claimed to have a “very strong mandate” from the country, adding, “If there is a contest, I will stand. I have said repeatedly, I am not going to walk away from that.”

Key Developments and Challenges

Sir Keir will spend the weekend at Chequers to consider his future and strategize on how to handle a potential wave of ministerial resignations next week. Former frontbencher Andy McDonald suggested the PM “has got days” to quit with dignity before being forced out. Harriet Harman, recently reappointed by Sir Keir, warned that Labour MPs were “stampeding” towards Burnham.

On a day marked by political drama:

• Over 100 Labour MPs called for the PM to resign, with even former loyalists joining the chorus.
• Mr Burnham prioritized nationalization on his agenda, outlining a mini-manifesto that also included the “reindustrialisation” of the North.
• Kemi Badenoch celebrated a historic victory in the Aberdeen South by-election, which had been dominated by controversy over Labour’s opposition to new North Sea oil drilling.
• Nigel Farage expressed disappointment with Reform’s performance in Makerfield, a key target seat.
• Mr Burnham was considering whether to appoint Ed Miliband as chancellor or choose a less radical figure like work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden or fellow minister Darren Jones.
• Baroness Harman called for Labour members to be excluded from any leadership contest, arguing that the decision on the next Prime Minister should rest with MPs.

Allies of Wes Streeting remain focused on forcing a contest to ensure any new leader has a mandate for their ideas. Members of Labour’s hard-Left rallied behind Mr Burnham, expecting him to abandon the more moderate parts of the party’s manifesto and increase spending.

Former Labour health secretary Alan Johnson advised Mr Burnham to call an election this year to “seek his own mandate” if he wanted to deliver real change. He argued that after six prime ministers in a decade, the public “will not stand” for having a seventh imposed on them.

Makerfield had been expected to be a close race, but Mr Burnham won decisively with 55% of the vote.