Keir Starmer live: Cabinet minister says he will campaign for Andy Burnham but issues warning

NewsPoliticsPoliticsLIVEUpdated 3 mins agoKeir Starmer live: Minister shoots down PM speculation ahead of Burnham showdownOne of Keir Starmer's top cabinet ministers has said he will campaign for any Labour candidate in the Makerfield by-election but warned of the 'risk' of losing the seat and the Manchester mayoralty(Image: AP Photo/Jon Super)NewsBenedict Tetzlaff-Deas News Reporter and Sophie Huskisson Political CorrespondentOne of Keir Starmer's Cabinet Ministers has slapped down suggestions that the Prime Minister is considering his position as Andy Burnham steps foot on the path to Westminster. The Greater Manchester mayor announced his intention last night to run in Makerfield after current MP Josh Simons stepped down to allow him to contend the seat. Burnham was rejected as a candidate in Gorton and Denton - but it is understood that the Prime Minister and his allies on Labour's NEC intend to give him the green light this time, if he is chosen by constituency members. Housing Secretary Steve Reed denied that Keir Starmer is considering his position this morning, saying: "I saw Keir Starmer yesterday and that isn't true." The PM has said for some time he'll fight challenges to his leadership, but Burnham's move puts a spanner in the works. Mr Reed insisted that changing leaders is the wrong move at this time, hitting out at the Tories for "doom scrolling through leader after leader." But he added that he will campaign in a Makerfield by-election for whoever the Labour candidate is, even Burnham. It comes after Wes Streeting resigned as Health Secretary yesterday, calling for a "broad" leadership contest in a parting letter to Number 10. However, no formal process has been triggered amid doubts over whether Streeting has the required number of MPs to begin one. Keir Starmer has signalled he has no intention of giving up his post. ‌ New UpdatesToday07:54 BSTPat McFadden will campaign for 'any' candidate in by-electionKey Starmer ally and Work and Pensions secretary Pat McFadden has said he will campaign for a Labour victory in the Makerfield by-election - but warned that there was a "political risk" in the Greater Manchester Mayor triggering two "unneccessary" elections. If Burnham is chosen to stand, it will mean Labour will have to win both the constituency and a new mayoral election. He told LBC last night: "Whoever is the candidate, whether it's Andy or another person, I'm a Labour man. I've been a Labour man all my life. I will be there campaigning for a Labour victory in that seat. Wherever there's an election—council election, by-election—I want Labour to win. That will be the case here, too." "We've had good conversations about that. The only thing I would say is that doing it in this route through an unnecessary by-election is always a risky prospect. History shows us that, and we mustn't be complacent about the voters here because, in the end, the people who will decide who the next MP for Makerfield is will be the voters in that constituency." Benedict Tetzlaff-DeasToday07:39 BSTNumber 10 taking stock after whirlwind 24 hoursIt's business as usual in Number 10 - but the Prime Minister and his aides will certainly have plenty to talk about this morning. Last night, the Mayor of Greater Manchester said he wanted to return to Westminster to “make politics work properly for people” after Josh Simons, the Labour MP for Makerfield, said he would stand down so Mr Burnham can “drive the change our country is crying out for”. It is now understood that Keir will not seek to block Burnham from becoming Labour’s candidate in the forthcoming by-election - but first the party’s National Executive Committee needs to give him the green light to stand when it meets next week. And earlier yesterday, Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary, while former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner revealed that she had been cleared by HMRC of deliberate wrongdoing over her tax affairs, clearing the path for a potential tilt at the top job. Benedict Tetzlaff-DeasToday07:39 BSTKeir Starmer ready to fight on - Mirror analysisMirror Political Correspondent Sophie Huskisson here.I’ve just been listening to Cabinet Minister Steve Reed on Times Radio - his first interview of a back-to-back round across the TV and radio stations this morning.First of all, he slaps down any suggestion Keir Starmer is considering his position. “I saw Keir Starmer yesterday and that isn't true,” he says.The PM has said for some time he’ll fight a challenge to his leadership. But Andy Burnham - who is hugely popular among the public and the Labour party - yesterday found a route back to Parliament - which puts a spanner in the works.Mr Reed - the Housing Secretary - continued to insist that changing leaders is the wrong route. And he hit out at the Tories “doom scrolling through leader after leader after leader”.But he added he will campaign in a Makerfield by-election for whoever is Labour candidate - including Burnham - after Labour MP Josh Simons said he’d stand down in the area to make way for the Greater Manchester mayor.Mr Reed said: “I would be very happy if it was Andy Burnham, and I would happily go up and campaign for him, as I would for any other candidate selected by local Labour Party members.” Sophie HuskissonToday07:39 BSTZack Polanksi didn't vote in electionGreen Party leader Zack Polanksi did not vote in last week's local elections because he was not registered, the party has admitted. A spokesperson said he "fell short of time" to update his address on the electoral register after moving in "as a lodger" in rented accommodation. It comes after party bosses were forced to admit the 43-year-old may have failed to pay council tax while living in a houseboat moored in East London. 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