Starmer's Leadership Contest Decision Is Personal, Says Lisa Nandy
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has stated that it is a "personal decision" for Sir Keir Starmer whether he chooses to participate in any potential leadership contest.
Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Nandy remarked that Sir Keir had "shown before that he's up for a fight" and added,
"I wouldn't write off the prime minister."
Despite this, Nandy also expressed her support for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to return to Parliament and be "at the heart of power." Burnham is seeking to stand as Labour's candidate in the Makerfield by-election and is widely expected to launch a leadership challenge if he wins.
Sir Keir would automatically be on the ballot paper if he chose to contest any leadership election. Earlier this week, the prime minister told journalists he would stand if such an election took place.
Nandy Backs Starmer, Supports Burnham's Parliamentary Return
When asked if she thought Sir Keir should be replaced as Labour leader, Nandy, who represents the Greater Manchester constituency of Wigan and is an ally of Burnham, responded,
"No I don't. If I did I wouldn't be in his cabinet."
She emphasized the party's mandate by stating,
"I think that we were elected to bring an end to the chaos."
Pressed on whether she believed Sir Keir should run in any leadership contest, Nandy said,
"He said himself that he will."She continued,
"It's a very personal decision for him. I haven't spoken to him this weekend but I've spoken to him several times over the last week and obviously he's shown before that he's up for a fight."
Nandy highlighted Sir Keir's landslide general election victory in 2024, which came after sceptics doubted Labour could return to power in just one term.
However, she acknowledged that last week's poor election results for Labour indicated
"people feel they haven't seen enough fight from us."She added,
"We have fought for people but the message is loud and clear, they want to see us on the pitch fighting harder, speaking louder and doing more."
Campaigning with Burnham in Makerfield
Nandy, who campaigned alongside Burnham in Makerfield on Saturday, said,
"We were hearing that loud and clear. People want that and they want voices from our part of the country and from all of those parts of the country that have been written off for too long to be heard much louder and clearer at the heart of government."
Nandy, who ran against Sir Keir in the 2020 Labour leadership contest, ruled out standing in any future contest herself.
Burnham Cleared to Stand in Makerfield By-Election
On Friday, Labour's ruling National Executive Committee, which had previously blocked Burnham's attempt to stand in a by-election in January, cleared him to seek selection as Labour's candidate in Makerfield.
This followed Labour MP Josh Simons announcing his intention to resign to make way for Burnham, while Sir Keir's allies indicated the prime minister would not block Burnham's return to Parliament.
Nandy acknowledged that winning Makerfield would be a "tough fight" for Burnham, noting Reform UK's strong performance in last week's council elections in the area.
Labour secured the constituency with a majority of 5,399 votes in the 2024 general election, but Nigel Farage's Reform UK party has consistently led national opinion polls since spring last year.
There are no precise figures for party performance in Makerfield during the local elections due to ward boundaries not fully aligning with constituency boundaries; however, Reform UK won approximately 50% of the vote share in the area.
Burnham's supporters argue this does not reflect his strong personal support in Greater Manchester, where he has won three successive landslide mayoral elections.
Nandy said,
"Because of Andy's record as mayor, people who didn't vote for [Labour] last week were saying that they would vote for us again."She added,
"That's why I make no apology for saying that I think he is a really important voice that needs to be heard loud and clear at the centre of Westminster."
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