The Greater Manchester mayor has made no secret of his Labour leadership ambitions, but faces significant obstacles
When Andy Burnham addressed a gala dinner this week, he was as coy as he could have been in a week when speculation about his future ambitions were in overdrive. “I love this job,” the mayor of Greater Manchester said. “I am very happy where I am. I have no ambition to be … ambassador to Washington.”
It was a gag that got a big laugh. Burnham has never played the game of pretending that he doesn’t seek to enter No 10. But he also does not give the standard ambitious politician’s response of saying that no vacancy is available.
Instead, he takes a more honest approach: that he would not have run twice to be leader of the Labour party if he didn’t want the job. Over the years, he has left Keir Starmer in no doubt that he hopes to one day to succeed him.
But no one – including Burnham – thought the question would come this soon. Starmer’s government has plunged in popularity, Nigel Farage’s Reform is on the rise, a huge Commons rebellion on welfare has weakened the prime minister – and three scandals in a fortnight have seen a deputy leader and ambassador depart.
