Health Secretary James Murray has claimed that Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election shows that he has strong public backing and a mandate to lead the country as Prime Minister.
He told The Camilla Tominey Show on GB News: “You mentioned Andy’s victory in Makerfield, which I think was a resounding victory. Remember, Reform won all of the wards in that constituency at the recent local elections, and yet Andy beat both Reform and Restore combined.
“It’s one constituency, but as an indicator of Andy’s appeal and the kind of support they can get behind him, it’s a strong indication of the strength of him as a person. But can I make a broader point which is really important, which is that Andy has said he stands behind the 2024 manifesto.
“We were all elected on that 2024 manifesto. We have a parliamentary democracy. The Labour Party in Parliament is rallying behind Andy to be our next leader and Prime Minister and that is the best thing for the country.”
Asked if Burnham should call a general election if his plans do not align with manifesto commitments, Murray said: “Andy has said he’s sticking to the 2024 manifesto. Andy’s made his position clear, and I’m not here to be a spokesperson for Andy in terms of his future plans.”
He added: “There is huge gratitude for what Keir Starmer did as leader of the Labour Party among the Parliamentary Labour Party. The parliamentary Labour Party is rallying behind Andy to take on the baton to be our next Prime Minister.
“We live in a parliamentary democracy where all of us as MPs were elected on the 2024 manifesto. Andy said he’s committed to the 2024 manifesto. He is now the person who the Labour Party in Parliament is rallying behind to be our next leader, to be our next Prime Minister.
“Look at the way that the previous Conservatives not only tore lumps out to each other and focused inward rather than outward to the country, but Liz Truss then came in, took a totally different view of how government should operate, crashed the economy.”
