Keir Starmer hints at Andy Burnham Cabinet position offer if he wins by-election

Keir Starmer hints at Andy Burnham Cabinet position offer if he wins by-election Keir Starmer has signalled he would offer the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham a position in his Cabinet if he is re-elected as an MP in this week's Makerfield by-election Keir Starmer has signalled he would offer Andy Burnham a position in his Cabinet if he is re-elected as an MP in this week's Makerfield by-election. Mr Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, is vying to replace the Prime Minister if he wins in Thursday's crucial contest. Some reports suggest the former Labour minister could make a challenge within hours of a victory, though other sources insist he wants to bide his time. The PM - who has insisted he'd fight any leadership challenge - cautioned Mr Burnham against challenging him, warning that there will be a mayoral election to fight in Manchester if he is re-elected as MP. Asked if he would try to bring Mr Burnham into his Cabinet, Mr Starmer told reporters at the G7 summit: "Oh, Andy is a great asset. And, yes, I want him to have a big role in government." Pressed by Sky News if he'd give him a call at the weekend to invite him into his top team, the PM continued: "Well I'm sure I'll talk to Andy after the weekend, of course I will. I've spoken to him many times in recent weeks. "And when I came into politics in 2015, it was Andy Burnham's team that I joined, and we worked very well together. He's a huge asset. He's been a fantastic mayor in Manchester. And if he comes back into Parliament, I hope he wins in the by-election. He'll be a fantastic asset for our party and for the country." Elsewhere, the PM warned that if Mr Burnham wins in Makerfield Labour will be facing a mayoral contest to replace him in Manchester, as he cautioned against plunging the party into a leadership race. He told Channel 4: "We then tip straight into the Manchester mayoralty by-election, because that's under a timeline, we start, we will, immediately, so we're all going to have to focus on that. "But it is important for me to step back from this. I was elected to serve my country, I came into politics late in life for one reason, one reason only, which is to change the lives of millions of people." Mr Burnham has previously confirmed he'd seek to enter a leadership contest if he wins in Makerfield. It comes after Wes Streeting suggested he is prepared to trigger a Labour leadership challenge against Mr Starmer as early as next week. The ex-Health Secretary last night said the Prime Minister should first be given “time to reflect” over the weekend after Thursday’s crucial Makerfield by-election. He told BBC Newsnight: “We’ll see where we are then. I would prefer the Prime Minister to take a decision on his own terms - rather than leave it for me, or Andy [Burnham] or anyone else to trigger a contest.” But pressed over the scenario of the Prime Minister remaining in No10, he went on: “If not we can’t carry on with this uncertainty and paralysis. There will need to be a contest, and I’d be prepared to do that.” The senior Labour figure also told a press conference on Tuesday he has the 81 Labour MPs required to trigger a contest against the Prime Minister. Mr Streeting - who has called on his former boss to set out a timetable for his resignation - claimed he had not yet triggered a contest due to Thursday’s by-election. He told reporters this week: “One of the inevitable [leadership] candidates is on the ballot paper. Had I tried to pull a fast one and get ahead of Andy Burnham before he came back, I think that would have been foul play. And it doesn’t say much about self confidence does it? If I think I’m the best person to lead this country, if I think I have the right skills, capabilities, and most important the right ideas, then I should embrace that competition and I should be prepared to take on others in that contest.” Asked if it was "destabilising" that Mr Streeting had said he has the support to challenge the PM next week, Mr Starmer added: "What I do every day is remind myself what I'm here to do. I was elected to serve the country and that is… other people can say what they like. I'm focused on what's my job. "My job is to get on and serve the country, bring about the change, try and help solve some of the big global issues that are having such an effect on our economy and our country. So I'm here (at the G7 summot) concentrating on that. That's the right thing to do, and I think most people would say there's always political chatter. We don't want our Prime Minster getting involved in that." Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds would not be drawn on whether a Labour leadership challenge would begin next week. Asked whether he expected former health secretary Mr Starmer to launch a challenge next week, he told Sky News on Wednesday: “I’m not Nostradamus.” He added: “All I would say is, if you look at this week, on Monday the Government announced a social media ban for under-16s. At the G7, the Prime Minister has just secured £1.3 billion of investment into the UK, creating over 1,400 jobs. “I’m pleased to say as well, in my brief we’ve secured the date for the 2026 UK-EU summit on July 22, when again I’ll be looking to finalise deals on things like food and drink and reducing trade barriers, (and) deals on energy to be bearing down on household bills. So I see a Government this week that is delivering.”