Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham has publicly declared his support for Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, at a press conference this afternoon.
Mr Burnham called for “stability” in the Labour Party as he spoke at a Resolution Foundation event in central London today, Tuesday, February 10.
His appearance at the event comes after he was blocked from standing in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election by the Labour Party’s ruling national executive committee.
Asked at the Resolution Foundation event whether the Prime Minister has his full support, Mr Burnham answered: “Yes, he has my support.
“The Government has my support and they had my support when I put myself forward for the by-election.”
The Mayor and former Leigh MP stated that he had spoken to the Prime Minister, claiming that the Labour Party needed a stronger sense of unity in the public's perception.
When asked whether he thought it was wrong for Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar to call for Sir Keir to resign, he said: “What I am calling for very clearly today, is for the unity, to create stability, to give the Government the platform to focus on all of the things that I’m talking about today.
“I think we’ve got to get away from the kind of sense that everything is a challenge. I spoke to the Prime Minister, and we need to get that strong sense of a stronger team again than there has been in recent times and that, I think, is what needs to come from this.”
He added: “We need to sort of dial down all of this constant briefing.
“It’s seemingly a bit endless, some of the anonymous briefings going around. I think we just need to focus on what’s in front of us.
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“There’s a by-election in front of us, I’ve been playing my role in that by-election… that’s the issue in politics right in front of us, the politics of collectivism versus the politics of division.
“My view is you’ve got to focus on stopping that now…. and everything else is noise in the background.”
Mr Burnham hailed the benefits of public control, adding: “I believe it’s what we should be working towards together with the Government.
“To do that requires stability and I make my own call for that today across the Labour Party.
“Of course, stability comes from greater unity and that would be helped by a more inclusive way of running the party but recent events make that now feel possible.”
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