Whisper it quietly but could Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham be about to save Keir Starmer’s error-prone government?
Even by his own standards, the beleaguered Prime Minister is on the political ropes after a bruising week.
Last Monday he declared it was time for 鈥榩hase two鈥� of his government, with a focus on 鈥榙elivery, delivery, delivery鈥� 鈥� only for his planned reset to be hijacked by Angela Rayner鈥檚 resignation for underpaying stamp duty.
The now former Deputy Prime Minister and deputy leader of the Labour Party may have had her critics but she鈥檚 unapologetically Northern and authentic.
鈥楴ortherners can鈥檛 be treated as second class citizens鈥� 鈥� Burnham
Fundamentally, Starmer鈥檚 biggest problem is he鈥檚 a terrible communicator. Nobody knows what he and Labour stand for.
It鈥檚 one of the reasons why ex-Sun editor David Dinsmore has been appointed聽head of the Government Communications Service聽(GCS).
Starmer makes a lot of being the son of a toolmaker and an Arsenal season ticket holder but his ponderous delivery style doesn鈥檛 cut through to the public in a world increasingly dominated by soundbites and social media.
President Donald Trump and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage may be hugely divisive characters but they get communications, and the optics that go with it, in a way that Starmer doesn鈥檛.
Farage has seized on growing public anger over small boats 鈥� providing daily updates on X on the number of ‘illegals’ crossing the channel – and asylum hotels.
In August, traditionally the quiet season in UK politics, he secured blanket coverage for his pledge to deport over 600,000 migrants if he won power at the next General Election.
It鈥檚 debatable how many of his supporters registered that he鈥檇 subsequently backtracked over some of his headline-grabbing headlines but he鈥檇 already achieved his objective by then.
The idea that a party with just four sitting MPs could win a General Election might have once seemed absurd but if could happen if the main political parties don鈥檛 raise their game massively.
Starmer needs someone with experience, brilliant communication skills and genuine authenticity… he needs Andy Burnham.
How this would be done is debatable.
If Burnham wanted another tilt at Westminster he鈥檇 have to resign as mayor but he wouldn鈥檛 want to open the door to Reform in Greater Manchester by doing so. He鈥檚 also the Police and Crime Commissioner.
However, if he took on an advisory role to Starmer he could remain as mayor. What鈥檚 not in doubt is his credentials to do the job.
At 55 he’s eight years younger than Starmer but he spent 16 years as the MP for Leigh before becoming Greater Manchester鈥檚 first elected mayor in 2017.
As an MP he served under Tony Blair and saw at first hand his leadership style and considerable communication skills.
In 2009 Burnham was heckled at the 20-year anniversary memorial service of the Hillsborough disaster by sections of the crowd unhappy with the government鈥檚 handling of the disaster.
Many politicians would have hidden after such a chastising experience but Burnham used his position to demand a second inquiry and was even applauded at the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
As Greater Manchester Mayor he鈥檚 been described as the 鈥楰ing of the North鈥� and has continued to stand up for what he believes in.
Who will forget the sight of him wearing his navy worker鈥檚 jacket when he told Boris Johnson鈥檚 Conservative government in 2020 that Greater Manchester wouldn鈥檛 accept any more Covid restrictions?
Three years later he accused the Labour machine of briefing against him.
People know what Burnham stands for. He鈥檚 passionate about education and the Baccalaureate, known as the MBacc, and in 2023 Greater Manchester become the first place in England to re-take control of its buses after nearly 40 years of deregulation with the launch of the Bee Network.
Burnham gets social media. He鈥檚 authentic and his approach to public life is best summed up by a message he has stuck on his office wall next to an image of a homeless person.
It鈥檚 a quote from a resident called Jo Barker-Marsh and reads: 鈥淣ever stop fighting for change. This is your debt to us, this should be the price of your power, that you never give up.鈥�
I interviewed Burnham in August 2024 and he was fulsome in his praise for Starmer.
鈥淗e takes his time, considers things but makes very clear decisions,鈥� he said of Starmer. 鈥淚 always felt that he would, more than anybody before him, look like a Prime Minister from day one. The minute he entered Downing Street, I think he looked like a PM.鈥�
Over the weekend Burnham expressed concerns about the 鈥榖alance鈥� of Starmer鈥檚 reshuffled cabinet after Rayner鈥檚 departure.
Thee bigger question is not whether the PM should call Burnham but whether he can afford not to.