LONDON — Andy Burnham’s allies have been plugging his credentials as a straight-talking communicator. He had a chance to prove it Thursday.
The Greater Manchester mayor appeared on a special edition of Question Time — the BBC’s flagship political debate program — as he seeks to return to Westminster in the Makerfield by-election on June 18.
The so-called “king of the north” faces a tough fight against the populist Reform UK, whose candidate Robert Kenyon was also on the panel.
POLITICO runs through five key moments from the debate for a by-election that could have huge consequences for British politics.
1. Burnham will run against Starmer
The Greater Manchester mayor finally said the quiet part out loud.
After months of speculation, Burnham confirmed he would stand in a future Labour leadership election.
Audience questioners repeatedly called for Burnham to be honest about his prime ministerial ambitions, and the Labour mayor confirmed he would “seek to join” any leadership contest — though didn’t clarify if he would take steps to trigger one.
“If I get your support, I would seek to represent you at the highest possible level,” he told the audience.
Burnham has avoided directly answering the question in previous interviews, so it was a striking moment two weeks out from an election that’s only happening to give Burnham a path to Parliament.
2. The PM fought back
Burnham’s comments triggered a spiky response from No. 10 Downing Street.
“The country expects us to focus on governing and to deliver change for hardworking people, not get distracted by Westminster debates,” a Downing Street spokesperson fired back.
The Labour Party process for challenging a leader has not been triggered, the spokesperson pointed out, adding: “The prime minister will not walk away from the mandate he was given just two years ago to build a stronger, fairer Britain.”
The Labour civil war is on.
3. Burnham blamed Farage for violence
On the topic dominating U.K. politics this week — the murder last December of 18-year-old Henry Nowak — Burnham was on the same page as the British prime minister. Newly released police bodycam footage shows officers handcuffing the stabbed teenager in his dying moments after his murderer falsely accused him of racism.
Like Starmer, Burnham condemned Reform Leader Nigel Farage for advocating “pure, cold rage” over the police response.
Burnham suggested the Reform UK leader’s language directly precipitated violence in Southampton on Tuesday, accusing Farage of being “well aware of what you say and what might happen later in that day.”
“Those consequences were seen on the streets of Southampton, and the ringleaders of that violence used exactly the same words as the leader of the Reform Party when they were orchestrating that violence,” Burnham said.
Reform candidate Kenyon insisted violence was not the answer — but leaned into Farage’s rhetoric challenging people to watch the footage of the police response to the murder “and tell me that you don’t feel rage.”
Farage was heckled in the House of Commons earlier this week after ignoring calls to condemn the scenes in Southampton.
4. Burnham deployed ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric
Nowak’s murderer was Sikh, prompting questions to Burnham about whether he’d support banning knives carried for religious reasons.
Sikhs are allowed to carry kirpans, a ceremonial sword or dagger.
“There’s a case to look at that again,” Burnham responded. “In a world where we do have serious challenges with knife crime, I think it needs to be looked at, although it needs a very careful debate,” he added.
Burnham also rejected accusations of two-tier policing in Greater Manchester, heaping praise on his Chief Constable Stephen Watson. He also highlighted Watson’s promise to “never take the knee.” No woke here.
5. Kenyon’s social media posts continue to haunt him
Other candidates in the debate rounded on Kenyon — a plumber who stood for Reform UK at the general election in 2024 — over his questionable online comments about women, the war in Ukraine and social policy.
Reform has stood by Kenyon, arguing that the remarks were made before he entered politics.
Kenyon on Thursday responded that his comments were “completely taken out of context,” adding: “I was brought up by women. I’ve got nothing but respect for women.”
But the Green candidate Sarah Wakefield said she’d spoken to presenter Carol Vorderman on Thursday morning after it was reported that Kenyon had made a sexualized comment about the broadcaster in 2021.
“She is really distressed that you have failed to apologize,” Wakefield said, asking whether Kenyon would use the opportunity to say sorry.
Instead, the plumber claimed he had “never actually said anything to Carol” but just instead “commented on a comment.”
It was a tense moment that generated little sympathy for Kenyon from the audience … proving it could be Reform’s Achilles heel in the remaining fortnight of the fight.