Labour Party United Behind Andy Burnham
Housing Secretary Steve Reed spoke to Victoria Derbyshire, confirming that the Labour Party is united behind Andy Burnham as its next leader, according to two senior party figures who spoke to the BBC.
Following Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's resignation earlier this week, the party established a timeline for a leadership contest. However, there is little indication of support for any candidates other than Burnham.
Former defence minister Al Carns has indicated that a speech Burnham is scheduled to deliver on Monday, outlining his economic policy, will determine whether Carns decides to challenge him for the Labour leadership.
Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell and Housing Secretary Steve Reed, both of whom had remained loyal to Sir Keir, stated that Labour MPs are backing a coronation of Burnham rather than a contested leadership race.
"I'm pleased that actually what it looks like is we're probably going to have just the one candidate in Andy Burnham," Powell told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
"How refreshing that would be - that the whole Labour Party is agreed on the new leader and we don't have to go through a contest that could be damaging at this point in time.
"Now we've all got to get behind that leader and stop the kind of infighting and chitter chatter from the background."
Reed concurred, stating the party was "going to move very swiftly to uniting behind Andy Burnham" without "turning inwards," which he described as absolutely essential.
General Election Debate and Party Stability
While a general election is not required to replace a prime minister, calling one is often viewed as a test of a new prime minister's public support.
Powell was among opposition figures who called for a general election when the Conservatives replaced Liz Truss as prime minister in 2022. However, she denied any hypocrisy in not seeking one to test a new Labour leader.
"I think we were in very particular times after Liz Truss crashed the economy," she said, adding: "People want us to get on with the job and deliver the change they want to see."
Reed also emphasized that the current situation differs from previous leadership changes, noting the Conservatives have repeatedly changed leaders while in government.
Reform UK's Nigel Farage has called for an immediate general election, but the Conservative Party has not followed suit.
Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly told Victoria Derbyshire, who was substituting for Kuenssberg, that a general election would delay critical decisions, particularly regarding defence spending.
He said the Tories would be ready to fight a general election, adding: "I, of course, did not call for one when we changed leaders mid-term, but there is a job of work to be done and we should get on with it."
Policy Priorities and Leadership Vision
Powell, the MP for Manchester Central, stated that further devolution of powers to local areas would be a priority for Burnham's administration if he wins the Labour leadership race.
"He's got a really strong agenda about changing that," she said, adding that it was "something that, actually, was in our manifesto but we've really not realised in the scale and speed in which we should have done that."
"If we had more control over things like skills and local transportation we could better connect people to all those new job opportunities of the future."
Burnham is expected to deliver a closely watched speech in Manchester on Monday to outline his economic vision for the country. The speech will emphasize devolution as a driver of growth and could be pivotal in persuading potential challengers such as Carns.
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