Burnham consults Gray on Labour succession as party faces Reform pressure

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has sought strategic advice from Sue Gray, the former chief of staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, regarding the formation of a future Labour government should he return to Westminster and succeed the prime minister. The discussions highlight the seriousness with which senior party figures are treating Burnham’s potential political trajectory, amidst intensified speculation following recent local election setbacks.

Burnham and Gray, who have known each other for decades dating back to the Tony Blair era, have held talks on government formation strategies. Gray is not expected to assume any formal role in a future administration, having resigned from Downing Street in October 2024 amid tensions over her management style and accusations of creating a bottleneck in policy decisions.

Treasury Chief Secretary Darren Jones, a senior ally of Starmer, publicly criticised the internal succession chatter during an appearance on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Jones labelled the jockeying for position as "fantasy politics" and urged the party to focus on national issues rather than leadership contests, stating that the primary focus must remain on the country and preventing a shift to Reform UK.

The pressure on Labour has intensified with a Survation survey published this week showing a tight race in the upcoming Makerfield byelection. The polling placed Burnham on 43 per cent, with Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon on 40 per cent in what was once considered safe Labour territory. A separate More in Common survey published last week indicated Labour sits on 30 per cent nationally under Burnham’s leadership, compared to 27 per cent for Reform UK and 20 per cent for the Conservatives.

Senior figures, including Wes Streeting and Lucy Powell, have campaigned for Burnham in Makerfield, while former foreign secretary David Miliband called for substantive policy changes rather than just leadership turnover. Miliband argued at the Hay Literary Festival that what matters more than who is in power, warning that changing the prime minister without changing policy would result in no substantive difference.