Burnham pulls out of BBC phone-in amid speculation

"Andy Burnham was due to appear on BBC Radio Manchester's Hotseat, but a spokesman for the Labour politician said he had to "prioritise discussions arising from last week's elections". Meanwhile, two local MPs who were reported as willing to step aside to provide a path to Westminster for Burnham have denied claims they are preparing to give up their seats. Burnham would need to become an MP before he could challenge for the top job."

"A spokesman for Burnham told the BBC: "As you know, Andy doesn't like to miss the Hotseat. "But this week, to get the best deal for Greater Manchester, he has to prioritise discussions arising from last week's local elections." PA Media After days of pressure, Starmer warned his ministers and MPs on Wednesday that a Labour leadership contest could result in "chaos"."

"Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who is also seen as a potential challenger to Starmer, said she had been cleared by HMRC of wrongdoing over her tax affairs. She told ITV she would not make a pact with Burnham to challenge the prime minister. "I'm not doing deals or anything like that," she said. Supporters of Streeting told the BBC they expected him to challenge the prime minister for the Labour leadership as soon as today."

"Two local MPs who were reported as willing to step aside to provide a path to Westminster for Burnham have denied claims they are preparing to give up their seats. Afzal Khan, the MP for Rusholme, and Withington's Geoff Smith have both said the rumours concerning them stepping aside to spark a by-election were false. Burnham would need to become an MP before he could challenge for the top job."

Andy Burnham pulled out of his regular BBC Radio Manchester Hotseat appearance amid speculation about launching a bid to return to Westminster and challenge for Labour leadership. A Labour spokesman said Burnham had to prioritize discussions arising from last week’s local elections to secure the best deal for Greater Manchester. Two local MPs reported as willing to step aside to create a route to Westminster denied the claims and said the rumours were false. Burnham would need to become an MP before challenging for the top job. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer faced pressure after heavy election losses, with ministers and MPs urging him to resign. Starmer warned that a leadership contest could cause chaos, as potential challengers including Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner continued to emerge.

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