Supporters of Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner have clashed over the Greater Manchester mayor’s plea for her to play Gordon Brown to his Tony Blair as he seeks the Labour leadership.
Mr Burnham is said to have offered the former deputy prime minister ‘any Cabinet job she wants’ plus a vow to ‘stand aside’ so she can follow him in to No10 – if she supports his pitch for the top job.
Such a move would echo the Granita Pact, sealed by Blair and Brown at the restaurant of the same name in 1994 before they took power in Labour, which saw them lead the party for a combined 16 years.
Mr Burnham is said to have pitched the plan in secret talks at Ms Rayner’s Greater Manchester constituency home earlier this month.
It comes as speculation grows that a terrible night in the May 7 local and devolved elections could trigger a move against Sir Keir Starmer.
However the pitch has seemingly been dismissed out of hand by Ms Rayner, with allies saying she can win on her own and has no interest in being a junior partner.
Additionally, Mr Burnham is not an MP, having seen his plan to abandon his mayoralty and secure a return to Westminster in the Gorton and Denton by-election blocked by Sir Keir.
It means that any swift move against the PM would leave him stuck on the sidelines with no way to be involved.
Burnham is said to have offered the former deputy prime minister ‘any Cabinet job she wants’ and a vow to ‘stand aside’ so she can follow him in to No10 – if she supports his leadership bid
The move would echo the Granita Pact, sealed by Blair and Brown at the restaurant of the same name in 1994 before they took power in Labour (pictured)
However the pitch has seemingly been dismissed out of hand by Ms Rayner, with allies saying she can win on her own and has no interest in being a junior partner
He could try to win another by-election, Sir Keir sets out a timetable to stand down later in the year.
Following what is expected to be bruising results, MPs are expected to write and call for beleaguered Keir Starmer to stand down by party conference in the autumn.
This would allow time for a contest to be held and a new leader to take over in an orderly manner.
But a source close to Ms Rayner told The Telegraph: ‘It is outrageous to suggest to a woman who pulled herself up by her bootstraps that she should be number two.’
It comes amid warnings that losses of more than 1,500 council seats on May 7 could trigger a Cabinet revolt.
Labour sources suggested that Mr Burnham’s allies were behind the letter to oust the PM, and that an MP from the North-West could stand down to give him a seat.
Names of potential candidates include Marie Rimmer, Charlotte Nichols and Peter Dowd – though the former two said they had not been asked to make way for him.
The statement is said to be circulating among MPs and will be sent in the aftermath of torrid local election results.
It comes as speculation grows that a terrible night in May 7 local and devolved elections could trigger a move against Sir Keir Starmer
Greater Manchester mayor Mr Burnham was seen leaving Ms Rayner’s constituency home in the city days after they played happy families with the PM on the campaign trail
Mr Burnham was seen leaving Ms Rayner’s constituency home in the city late on Friday a couple of weeks ago, days after they played happy families with the PM on the campaign trail.
Ms Rayner is seen as a leading candidate to run for the leadership if Sir Keir is challenged in the wake of a poor showing in the May 7 local elections.
This is despite the fact that she is still awaiting the results of an official HMRC probe into the tax she paid when buying an £800,000 holiday home 250 miles from her constituency last year.
And Mr Burnham has made little secret of his desire for the top job, having seen one attempt to return to Westminster thwarted by Sir Keir already this year
Sir Keir talked up his left-wing credentials in a speech to a union conference today, stressing moves to bolster workers’ rights.
He also stressed his opposition to Donald Trump’s Iran war, and insisted he would act to bail out Brits.
The comments came as the PM stares down the barrel of a damaging Commons showdown on whether he misled the House over the Mandelson scandal.
Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is expected to grant a debate on referring Sir Keir to the Privileges Committee – forcing Labour MPs to decide if they can line up behind the floundering leader.
The clashes would happen tomorrow, the same day as Sir Keir’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and the ex-head of the Foreign Office give potentially explosive evidence about Mandelson’s appointment.
Downing Street has been mobilising the PM’s few remaining allies, with Labour veterans Alan Johnson and David Blunkett branding the privileges motion a ‘nakedly political stunt’.
