The Burnham fiasco shows that the right of the Labour party would rather see it burn than lose control | Owen Jones

Starmer’s drones see themselves as characters in The West Wing, full of machiavellian skullduggery but with none of the idealism. No wonder Labour is running out of road

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n its own terms, Keir Starmer’s faction blocking Andy Burnham from standing in the upcoming Gorton and Denton byelection is perfectly rational. It is screamingly obvious that the mayor of Greater Manchester sought a return to Westminster so that he could overthrow the prime minister, once Labour is battered in the May elections.

Burnham promised he “would be there to support the work of the government, not undermine it”. But if, come spring, a new Plaid Cymru first minister of Wales is grinning like a Cheshire cat, the prince over the water could plausibly argue that keeping Starmer in No 10 is what is undermining the work of the government.

Starmer’s move is a rational decision, perhaps, if factional survival is your priority. But what about the wider Labour party’s survival? It has long been clear that Starmer’s cabal would rather burn the party to the ground than allow it to move in a more progressive direction.