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Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has cautioned against “underestimating the peril the party is in,” speaking at a fringe meeting during the Labour party conference.
Burnham continued his critique of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership at events throughout the Liverpool conference, stating he would not avoid debating Labour’s path forward.
Despite facing criticism from some MPs, Burnham asserted that Labour should not be “narrow and shallow,” adding that a “climate of fear” was too prevalent.
Recent opinion polls show Labour trailing Reform, suggesting potential setbacks in the Welsh Senedd and upcoming local elections next May.
The Prime Minister is expected to use this week’s conference to highlight key policy differences between Labour and Reform.
Addressing a fringe meeting hosted by the Re:State think tank, Burnham emphasized his desire to “launch a debate about direction and getting a plan to beat Reform.”
He noted that the challenge posed by Reform is particularly evident for many councillors, MSPs, and Senedd members, with elections slated for May 2026.
“I do think we need a story for this government that connects more with people,” he added.
“I don’t think we can be at this conference and not talk honestly about some of the challenges that the party is facing.”
“I would say those out there making calls for simplistic statements of loyalty are underestimating some of the peril the party is in in those elections next year.”
Separately, at another fringe event, Burnham took aim at the Labour leadership’s handling of internal dissent, highlighting instances where party members were “suspended for liking a tweet by another political party” or “a Member of Parliament loses the whip for trying to protect disability benefits.”
He stated, “One thing I am worried about, and I think we do need to debate at this conference in my view, is how can you have an open debate about all of those things if there’s too much of a climate of fear within our party and the way the party is being run.”
Burnham also expressed his desire to “support the government” and see the Prime Minister succeed.
While many Labour MPs reportedly believe Burnham has gone too far in the past few days, many acknowledge that opinion polls present a concerning outlook for Labour and the Prime Minister.
However, those hoping Burnham would dismiss any future leadership aspirations have been left disappointed.
Earlier, Alan Johnson, a former cabinet minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, downplayed Burnham’s recent remarks on the BBC’s *Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg* program.
Recalling an instance in 2009 when colleagues urged him to challenge Gordon Brown for the Prime Ministership, he offered “a simple bit of advice for Andy.”
“Do what I did, go and find a television camera, stand in front of it and say: ‘I have no intention of standing against the elected leader of our country’,” he advised.
Earlier in the same program, Sir Keir Starmer sought to minimize the commentary surrounding his leadership, emphasizing his five-year mandate.
“Comments about leaders and leadership are part and parcel of being in politics,” he stated.
“Every leader gets it, it always comes out particularly at conference, it’s in the job description.”
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