Rival confirms he will challenge Starmer to be UK prime minister

Manchester mayor targets June 18 parliamentary by-election before launching his bid for No 10

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed for the first time his intention to challenge Keir Starmer to be Britain’s prime minister, drawing immediate criticism from the premier who vowed not to walk away from the job.

“If I get your support, I would seek to represent you at the highest possible level and give this constituency maximum power and influence,” Burnham said in an episode of the BBC’s Question Time. He cited the ambitions of his top rival, former health secretary Wes Streeting, in explaining his own plans to seek leadership of his party.

“I’d have to persuade members of the parliamentary Labour Party,” he said on Thursday in the Makerfield constituency that he was seeking to represent. “So that’s the only question.”

Starmer immediately hit back through his spokesperson, who said he would not walk away from his mandate and that the country wanted the Labour Party to focus on governing, not internal debates.

A telephone survey of 518 people in the Makerfield constituency published by pollster Survation on Thursday evening gave Burnham a 10-point lead over Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon.