Andy Burnham would forge an alliance with the Green Party and rip up the first-past-the-post electoral system if he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, supporters of the Manchester mayor have said.
Labour‘s devastating defeat in Thursday’s Gorton and Denton by-election has left his leadership rivals circling ominously, with Mr Burnham the favourite among both Labour voters and the wider electorate – even though he is not an MP.
Sir Keir’s refusal to allow Mr Burnham to stand as his candidate in the by-election is blamed by many of his MPs for the defeat.
But Mr Burnham’s supporters are confident that morale has fallen so far in the party since he was blocked that he would be allowed to stand the next time a suitable seat becomes available.
The claims come as polling data shared exclusively with The Mail on Sunday shows 44 per cent of voters think the Prime Minister should resign after losing the by-election, with just 34 per cent saying that he should stay.
The research, by polling expert and former Conservative deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft, rates Mr Burnham as the ‘best Prime Minister’ among the Labour leadership contenders, on 27 per cent, ahead of Ed Miliband on 8 per cent, and Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting both on 6 per cent.
It also indicates that a coalition between Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Zack Polanski’s Greens would beat a Tory/Reform UK coalition by 43 per cent to 33 per cent.
It is understood that Mr Burnham is trying to persuade Marie Rimmer, the veteran Labour MP for St Helens South and Whiston, to stand aside to let him return to the Commons.
Polling by Lord Ashcroft shared exclusively with the Mail on Sunday shows 44 per cent of those polled agreed prime minister Keir Starmer should resign after losing the Gorton and Denton by-election
Lord Ashcroft’s polling also showed Andy Burnham is rated the ‘best prime minister’ to succeed Keir Starmer, ahead of rivals Ed Miliband, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting
One supportive MP said: ‘It is not a done deal yet, but we are hopeful. The implied offer is she would be able to end her career in the Lords if she does the decent thing.’
But if Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee did try to block Mr Burnham again – using the same pretext that the party does not want to have to fight a by-election for the Manchester mayoralty, which could be won by Reform – he is said to be considering the ‘nuclear option’ of resigning as mayor anyway.
Mr Burnham is on record as saying that replacing the UK’s traditional first-past-the-post electoral system with proportional representation (PR) could ‘build a more collaborative, long-culture within Westminster’.
It is also a long-cherished aim of the Green Party which, despite its success in last week’s by-election, would struggle to win power in the existing system.
Last night, one Labour MP and Burnham supporter said ‘a deal on PR’ could be a key part of the new alliance.
He also said Mr Burnham was ‘ideally placed’ to clinch such a deal with the Greens.
However, the idea would be fiercely opposed by many Labour MPs who fear it would mean their party would never again win a clear Commons majority.
Separately, there are claims that former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has privately told Mr Burnham that she would not put herself forward for the leadership role if he was a candidate.
Mr Burnham’s supporters have said he could forge an alliance with the Greens, led by Zack Polanski, and rip up the first past the post electoral system
However, she is said to be ready to do so to stop Health Secretary Wes Streeting getting the job if a contest began before Mr Burnham could return to the Commons.
Most Labour MPs believe that Sir Keir will not face a leadership challenge until after the May local elections.
Last night, Mr Burnham said the claims about him were ‘made up’.
But a Green Party spokesman welcomed his support for PR, adding: ‘It is the best thing for representative democracy, even if Labour are coming to it now to protect themselves against annihilation in the 2029 General Election.’
