Andy Burnham has warned against “underestimating the peril the party is in” at a fringe meeting at the Labour party conference.
The mayor of Greater Manchester continued his criticism of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership at events at the Liverpool conference, telling audiences he would not shy away from debate on Labour’s future.
Despite a backlash from MPs, Burnham said Labour should not be “narrow and shallow”, adding there was “too much of a climate of fear”.
Labour is trailing Reform in the opinion polls, indicating potential losses in the Welsh Senedd and local elections in May next year.
The PM will use much of this week’s conference as a chance to frame some of the party’s dividing lines with Reform.
Speaking at a fringe meeting for the Re:State think tank, Burnham said he was clear that he “wanted to launch a debate about direction and getting a plan to beat Reform”.
He said that for many councillors, MSPs and MPs in the Senedd, the challenge was “right in front of their eyes”, with elections due in May 2026.
He added: “I do think we need a story for this government that connects more with people.
“I don’t think we can be at this conference and not talk honestly about some of the challenges that the party is facing.
“I would say those out there making calls for simplistic statements of loyalty are underestimating some of the peril the party is in in those elections next year.”
At a different fringe event, Burnham criticised the Labour leadership’s handling of dissent, attacking the situation where party members were “suspended for liking a tweet by another political party” or “a Member of Parliament loses the whip for trying to protect disability benefits”.
He said: “One thing I am worried about, and I think we do need to debate at this conference in my view, is how can you have an open debate about all of those things if there’s too much of a climate of fear within our party and the way the party is being run.”
He also said he wanted to “support the government” and wanted the prime minister to succeed.
Plenty of Labour MPs think Burnham has gone too far in the past few days, although many recognise the opinion polls paint a gloomy picture for Labour, and the prime minister.
But those who hoped Burnham would rule out a future leadership bid have been disappointed so far.
Earlier, Alan Johnson, who was a cabinet minister under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown dismissed Burnham’s comments in the past week on the ‘s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
Describing how, in 2009, he was told by colleagues to run against Gordon Brown as prime minister, he offered “a simple bit of advice for Andy”.
“Do what I did, go and find a television camera, stand in front of it and say: ‘I have no intention of standing against the elected leader of our country’,” he said.
Earlier on the same show, Sir Keir sought to play down the commentary on his leadership, saying he had a mandate for five years.
“Comments about leaders and leadership are part and parcel of being in politics,” he said.
“Every leader gets it, it always comes out particularly at conference, it’s in the job description.”
