𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

During this morning’s Sky News, host Sophie Ridge locked horns with Steve Reed as he refused to acknowledge there could be a leadership election following Andy Burnham’s victory last night. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government told Ridge: “Right now, I do not think anything is going to happen because he has to win that mayoralty for Greater Manchester.”

Ridge asked: “You don’t think anything is going to happen – you don’t think there is going to be a leadership contest?” When she probed him again, he failed to give her a direct answer and swerved the question and took aim at the previous Conservative government.

Ridge interjected: “Can I put this in a slightly different way then? If there is a leadership contest, will Keir Starmer fight it?”

Reed said Starmer had made it clear he was not going to walk away and would fight it if there was a leadership challenge.

As he was speaking, Ridge said: “With great respect, we all know this was a by-election about Burham coming back to Westminster so he could be in a leadership contest. We all know that. You know that. Our viewers know that. Let’s be honest about it.”

Reed retorted, saying the leadership contest is “all hypothetical chat” before Ridge chimed in: “Can I be honest? It feels a little bit like you are in denial about what’s happened.”

The politician stated he was “not in denial” as the clash intensified on the programme.

Viewers were quick to comment on the clash on X, with one writing: “The media undoubtedly is desperate for a Leadership election. Andy Burnham undoubtedly thinks he deserves to be PM without having won a general election. Neither of these are reasons for Sir Keir to relinquish the post for which he fought so long and hard.”

Another said: “He is in denial,” while a third penned: “Dancing on pinheads perhaps, but there’s a world of difference between a leadership election and a leadership challenge.