Labour Party leaders have been warned they must take steps to placate disgruntled members who are angry over the lack of democratic involvement in the expected coronation of Andy Burnham as the new leader. Burnham, the newly elected MP for Makerfield, is widely expected to become Labour leader on 17 July without facing a formal challenge from any other MP.
Growing Complaints Over Lack of Contest
MPs have reported increasing complaints from party members about the absence of a leadership contest. With Burnham likely to secure the required 81 nominations from MPs easily, many members feel excluded from the process. The party had considered hiring Everton FC’s stadium to announce Burnham—a lifelong Everton fan—as the new leader, but insiders raised concerns that booking the venue before nominations even opened could appear presumptuous and further alienate members.
According to a Guardian report, several members of the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) said there have been moves to address the discontent. Trade unions will be given the opportunity to express endorsements during nominations week starting 9 July, or decline to give one. This required a tweak to the Labour rulebook, as unions would normally nominate during the course of a contest. Union leaders insisted they must be allowed to give a formal view before Burnham is crowned leader.
Efforts to Placate Disgruntled Members
Burnham, who has spent the past fortnight in talks with groups of MPs and ministers, met affiliated trade union leaders on Thursday afternoon. Several unions plan to quiz the prime minister-in-waiting about plans for oil and gas licences and care worker visas. The party is also planning to organise online Q&A events to replace the hustings that would have taken place in a leadership contest.
NEC members representing constituency parties said rank-and-file members were unhappy about a lack of input. The party is expected to organise online sessions for members with Burnham once he becomes leader. He is expected to enter No 10 as prime minister on Monday 20 July.
Member Anger Across Political Spectrum
In her report from the NEC, CLP representative Ann Black said many members were “upset by Starmer’s departure … We all need to acknowledge that, and end the tradition of driving out supporters of the previous leader every time we get a new one.” Several MPs said they had faced angry criticism from members during meetings in May and June, many of whom were critical of removing Starmer as leader. The anger came from a range of political viewpoints, including members who had previously supported Jeremy Corbyn and were unhappy with the leadership challenge from Owen Smith.
“There is a lot of affection for Andy but there is also anger about party disunity,” one MP said. Another added: “Andy’s been showing a lot of interest in meeting MPs and engaging on lots of issues which has been excellent but he needs to show that to party members as well. He’s likely to have been the choice of the membership but we can’t afford to see mass departures over this leadership change because people feel ignored.”
