Andy Burnham fuels talk of a joint Labour leadership ticket with Angela Rayner after dubbing her 'Queen of the North'
Andy Burnham has encouraged speculation he is planning a joint leadership ticket with Angela Rayner after calling her ‘Queen of the North’ – a direct reference to his own moniker.
The Manchester Mayor made his remarks on Thursday at a fundraising event for his Greater Manchester Homeless Charity in the city as he thanked the former deputy prime minister for her attendance.
It came just two days after Ms Rayner effectively launched an unofficial leadership campaign by warning Sir Keir Starmer the Labour Party was ‘running out of time’ to deliver change.
In what appeared to be a co-ordinated attack, Mr Burnham, known as the King of the North, backed her by saying: ‘I certainly know where she’s coming from.
'I understand the frustration people feel.’
Mr Burnham is said to be planning to launch his own leadership bid if he can find a Commons seat in time for the expected contest after the May local elections.
Earlier this year, he was blocked from running as the party’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election on the grounds that it would open the door to Reform winning the vacant mayoralty.
After the seat was then won by the Green Party, Mr Burnham’s allies believe he would not be blocked a second time – and even if he is, he would deploy the ‘nuclear option’ of resigning his mayoralty to remove No 10’s excuse.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham dubbed the former deputy PM Angela Rayner 'Queen of the North' on Thursday at a fundraising event for his Greater Manchester Homeless Charity
He is now said to have reached a private agreement with Ms Rayner that they will not run against each other.
MPs who support Mr Burnham’s ambitions say if he launched his campaign, Ms Rayner would agree to be his running mate – his ‘Queen’ – in return for a senior Cabinet job and a return to the post of deputy PM which she lost after the row over her underpayment of stamp duty on her property in Hove.
If Mr Burnham cannot find a seat then Ms Rayner will run herself, rather than see rivals such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood or Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper take the job.
Ms Rayner’s allies are increasingly confident HMRC will either exonerate her over her tax bill or hit her with only a small fine.
