𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour Party chiefs will smooth Andy Burnham’s potential path to power, it has emerged.

The party’s National Executive Committee blocked the Mayor of Greater Manchester from attempting to return to Parliament in January after seemingly pledging loyalty to Sir Keir Starmer.

But they are now said to be “reassessing” their options as Sir Keir’s Government collapses.

Abdi Duale told a post-election webinar hosted by the firm FTI Consulting: “Of course, the leader has influence over how the NEC votes.

“But I do think that influence is diminished by looking at the results and thinking, well, you know, the prime minister is probably not going to take us into the next election. So I imagine colleagues will be weighing that up, because I think old loyalties that existed before May 7 are all being reassessed.”

Duale, a senior public affairs director at FTI, added: “This is now terminal for the party, and I think all of us will make that decision based on what’s in the party’s best interest, as opposed to blind loyalty to any particular leader.”

Mr Burnham, along with Health Secretary Wes Streeting, are said to be frontrunners to replace Sir Keir.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner could also run for office.

Burnham has not formally launched a second attempt to return to Parliament. However, four allies of the Greater Manchester mayor told Politico said a specific MP has been identified who is willing to stand down and create a vacancy.

The NEC feared Labour could face a brutal showdown in Manchester if Mr Burnham quit for Parliament.

The Prime Minister has faced a series of bombshell ministerial resignations on Monday night.

And more than 60 Labour MPs have urged him to quit.

Speaking at the Communication Workers Union (CWU) conference, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said: “The Prime Minister (Sir Keir Starmer) today acknowledged the frustration that was expressed last week.

“But we will be judged on actions and not just our words.

“I’m proud of our Labour values but they’re not enough if we do not have a plan to put them into practice. It’s no good acknowledging the mistakes if they’re not put right.

“So let me be honest conference, we as the party have to do better than this and we can only prove we mean our Labour values by putting the common interest ahead of factionalism.

“And we can start by accepting that Andy Burnham should never have been blocked – it was a mistake that the leadership of our party should put right.”

Asked whether he thought Greater Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham should be allowed to run for Labour in a potential by-election to become an MP again, Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said: “Andy Burnham is an excellent politician. He’s been a great mayor. He’s somebody who wants to return to Parliament. I think he should be able to do so sooner, rather than later.”

The Daily Express understands that the Cabinet could tell Sir Keir his time is up when they meet today (Tue).

The mutineers have gone public with their calls for him to set out a timetable to step down.

It sets up what is likely to be a bitter battle that could rip Labour apart as Blairites and the hard-Left wrestle for control.

The latter want a delay so Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has a chance to return to the Commons – while Mr Streeting would be favourite if the contest is resolved quickly.

Speculation about the Prime Minister’s future has surged since Thursday’s elections that saw Labour lose almost 1,500 English councillors, go backwards in Scotland and slump to third in Wales.

During his speech at a community centre in central London, Sir Keir set out a number of measures including legislation to nationalise British Steel and a plan to put the UK “at the heart of Europe”.

He cast the current political moment as a “battle for the soul” of the UK, warning that if Labour failed the country would head down “a very dark path”.