Now is not the time to undermine the Prime Minister

oneGreater Manchester mayor Endy Burnham pledged to “support the work of the government” as he returned to Westminster to apply for a by-election. don’t destroy it“.

But his presence in the House of Commons would distract the Prime Minister.

Sir Keir Starmer on international stage the last few days. He urges Elon Musk to disable his porn artificial intelligence. He is staunchly opposed to Donald Trump Greenlandand demanded an apology from the President of the United States Slander the Allies In Afghanistan.

independent Hope to see him do better on the domestic front – but it remains to be seen whether he will make full use of his parliamentary majority to bring about enough change before the next election.

Until then, it may be necessary to consider all the means required to defeat Nigel Farage. We believe it is not in the national interest for a reformist leader to serve as Prime Minister. Trying to avoid such an outcome, especially if it gets around 30% of the vote, requires special measures.

If Sir Keir is such a drag on the Labor vote by then that his continued leadership makes that outcome more likely, then the question of replacing him will arise. Over the next two years, however, the leadership machinations were divisive, destructive, and premature.

No matter how much Mr Burnham protests that his only desire is to help the government go “further and faster” in improving the country and “communicate the change it is making”, he will be the focus of such intrigues.

Sir Keir was Prime Minister for only 18 months. He has made mistakes, he has been forced to raise taxes to stabilize public finances, and Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt have left him in a frankly disgraceful state.

But changing the prime minister now, even if it could be done with a minimum of fuss, which it cannot, will not help ensure better government. Instead, it will paint Labor as a panicked, disunited rabble and suggest that many of its leaders have learned nothing from the instability of the Tory change of prime ministers. Four times in six years.

As things stand, it’s not even clear that Mr Burnham would make a better Prime Minister than Sir Keir. Mr. Burnham might be a better communicator. His speaking style is more relaxed and authentic. He is unusually popular for a contemporary British politician and enjoys a good reputation in his north-western heartland, which is reflected in other parts of the country. He has a good record as mayor Integrate public transportation and fighting for his city’s interests during the pandemic.

But these are superficial requirements for the top job. Mr Burnham has no other economic strategy – except to suggest he would Borrow more money to pay for higher public spending. For a country that needs to go in the opposite direction, the smallest step in this direction will be disastrous.

His ministerial record – 11 months as health minister after a brief stint in a junior post – was not so great that the country was clamoring for him to finally bring about some meaningful change.

If all he offers is a new face and a different accent, the timing of doing so may be closer to the next election, when he will serve a third term as mayor and Sir Keir will be given a fair chance to prove himself.

It would be in the national interest if Labour’s national executive committee refused to grant special permission to allow a mayor to break a promise to the people of a city area. Now is not the time to undermine the Prime Minister.