Burnham starts byelection campaign with thinly veiled pitch for No 10

A Labour mayor formally launched a campaign for the Makerfield byelection with a message aimed at changing Labour nationally. He said a vote for him would represent a vote to change Labour, while avoiding direct comments about replacing the prime minister. He outlined views on the economy, immigration, and electoral reform to Labour MPs and activists, then answered media questions. He pledged to stick to Labour manifesto spending and taxation commitments, but said that as prime minister he would reprioritise funding, including directing a 39bn affordable housing fund toward council homes rather than private developers. He supported immigration changes led by the home secretary, while suggesting adjustments to indefinite leave to remain rules. He promised proportional representation in the next manifesto and said it was not practical to change voting methods before the next general election.

"Andy Burnham has formally launched his campaign for the Makerfield byelection with a barely coded pitch for Downing Street, saying a vote for him to become the MP there was a vote to change Labour. While not explicitly saying that he would seek to replace Keir Starmer, the Greater Manchester mayor used a speech to Labour MPs and activists in the constituency, followed by questions from the media , to lay out a series of national policy views, including on economy, immigration and electoral reform."

"While Burnham said he would commit to sticking by Labour's manifesto pledges on spending and taxation, if he was prime minister he would reprioritise large sums of money, including devoting all of a 39bn fund for affordable housing to council homes rather than allocating any to private developers. He reiterated his broad support for immigration changes spearheaded by Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, but indicated there could be some changes, particularly on rules about indefinite leave to remain (ILR), saying he was aware that some Labour MPs had worries about this."

"Burnham also committed any government he ran to promise a proportional electoral system in its next manifesto, while saying it was not practical to change the way people voted before the next general election. This is a change byelection, Burnham said in his speech, held in the car park of a community sports club in Ashton-in-Makerfield, near Wigan. British politics needs to change its tired old script and the people of Makerfield are helping us write one."

"Speaking to reporters afterwards, Burnham denied that this meant that a vote for him would effectively mean a vote to remove Keir Starmer, saying: No, it's not, because this is a byelection, and that's what this contest is about, and those issues are issues for another time, and they are issues fo"

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