EXCL: Secret plot to get Andy Burnham a seat in Parliament so he can challenge Keir Starmer for No10 revealed!

Labour rebels dubbed the "Manchester Mafia" want Andrew Gwynne to give up his seat for the King of the North.

One insider says: "They are calling it the Etihad coup"

— Kate Ferguson (@kateferguson4) September 13, 2025

PM is facing plots and intrigue after a nightmare few weeks.

Angela Rayner and Peter Mandelson both dumped from Govt over scandals.

Top Labour figures warn PM could be "thrown overboard" within months unless he changes course.

— Kate Ferguson (@kateferguson4) September 13, 2025

I am not sure this strategy will work, it’s not 1963 and parties cannot engineer by-elections like this. I would also remind people that at the 2024 general election Labour had a 14,696 majority in Runcorn & Helsby and they lost that seat in a by-election. (I know the seats are different but it gives some context in holding this seat.)

My other concern about this is that Andy Burnham’s not a very good politician, he was Health Secretary when the Tories under David Cameron became more trusted on the NHS than Labour which is some achievement.

In the past when Burnham has run for the Labour leadership he managed to finish fourth behind Ed Balls and the Miliband brothers which isn’t something to be proud about and in 2015 he was absolutely mullered by Jeremy Corbyn a man who lost two general election in a row.

All of this makes me comfortable in laying Andy Burnham as next Prime Minister.

TSE