Andy Burnham has withdrawn from a keynote speech on the morning after the local elections as speculation mounts of a potential Labour leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer.
The Greater Manchester Mayor was due to address the second annual Festival of Childhood at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum on Friday.
However, organisers said on Thursday evening that Caroline Simpson, group chief executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, would take his place.
A spokesperson for the children’s commissioner’s office confirmed Mr Burnham’s complete absence from the event.
The move comes amidst reports suggesting Mr Burnham intends to return to Westminster in the coming weeks and harbours ambitions to challenge the Prime Minister.
This development unfolds as voters across the UK cast their ballots on Thursday in the Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections, alongside local council contests in England, marking the most significant gauge of public opinion since the 2024 general election.
There have been reports that MPs are moving to oust the Prime Minister in the wake of the elections, in a bloodless coup modelled on the way Sir Tony Blair was encouraged to make way for his successor Gordon Brown.
Reports of backbench plans to move against Sir Keir come amid rumblings of a potential leadership tilt by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner or Mr Burnham.
Allies of Ms Rayner are confident she would be able to gain the support of the 81 MPs required to launch a challenge, a number which Mr Streeting is also said to have met, though neither are said to want to be the first to move.
Meanwhile, Mr Burnham has been tipped as a party favourite to succeed the Prime Minister but he would have several logistical obstacles to clear before returning to Westminster should he seek to mount a bid for No 10.
The Greater Manchester Mayor has identified several seats where MPs are prepared to step aside, triggering a by-election which could pave the way for his return to Parliament, according to The Guardian.
The newspaper also reported Mr Burnham’s supporters are attempting to avoid a formal leadership challenge against the Prime Minister, and hope to kickstart a process for him to stand down after Labour’s results in the local elections.
Mr Burnham was earlier this year blocked by Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election after the previous MP Andrew Gwynne stood down, citing health reasons.
The NEC, which included Sir Keir, said worries about the costs of running a new Manchester mayoral election and fear that Reform could take the mayoralty were behind the decision to block Mr Burnham.
Mr Burnham, who served as health secretary in Gordon Brown’s government, is also said to be preparing a progressive policy platform for government, according to The Guardian.
