Watch the moment a gleeful GB News guest ripped into Sir Keir Starmer after the Greater Manchester Mayor announced he plans to run to be an MP.
At 5pm this afternoon, Andy Burnham sent a letter to the Chair of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) seeking permission to be selected for the race.
Political commentator Lizzie Cundy could barely contain her joy at the news, refusing to hold back as she gave a rather candid reaction live on air.
“Oh my, egg on your face, Keir Starmer!” Ms Cundy exclaimed, beaming from ear to ear.
Chuckling to herself, she added: “I think he’ll be asking for some of Rachel Reeves tissues at the minute. He will be very, very nervous.
“Let me tell you, this is going to be so exciting. What an exciting by-election we’re going to have!
“I mean, look, from the Green Party, who’s going to be standing, is it going to be [Zack] Polanski? Will he throw his hat in the ring?
“Who’s going to come up from Reform? Could it really be really close? This is so exciting. This is why I love politics and, my word, what a day.”
Ms Cundy was thrilled about the ‘riveting’ turn of events
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Meanwhile, political commentator Fahima Mohamed wondered whether Mr Burnham’s bid could be a cause of concern for Reform UK, if he were to stabilise the party, which is currently burdened with backbench rebellions and bristling briefing wars.
She explained: “Obviously, we do know that leadership change can actually revitalise the party, and him putting himself forward could also mean there could be those fresh new policies that people will go back to Labour.
“So in a way that’s probably been more detrimental to Reform, if anything.”
But Ms Cundy hit back, insisting: “Reform isn’t scared, Reform isn’t scared one bit. I think you’re scared. They are not.
Mr Burnham has been Mayor since 2017 after he stood down as MP for Leigh
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“What is good for this country is good opposition. And we haven’t had that. You know Keir Starmer is weak as straw.
“He’ll be looking like a scared rabbit at the minute. But the knives are out for him. And the Labour Party hasn’t learned anything from the Tory party that in-house fighting doesn’t win elections.”
As Sir Keir pursues numerous U-turns on major policy, Labour backbenchers are becoming increasingly disgruntled with their leadership behind the doors of No10, urging rivals to step up and challenge his premiership.
With Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting in the mix as potential challengers, Mr Burnham could be on his way to overcoming one of his first obstacles to making a Westminster comeback after his announcement this afternoon.
Just seconds before the deadline, Mr Burnham published his letter to the National Executive Committee, requesting permission to stand as the party’s candidate.
Ex-Labour minister Andrew Gwynne gave up the seat on Friday when he announced his resignation due to health reasons.
Now, Mr Burnham’s request to stand must be approved by Labour’s NEC before he is permitted to stand for the party.
Although the Labour Mayor has long-been rumoured to be looking to stage a coup and overthrow Sir Keir’s reign over Labour, he has vowed he does not wish to “undermine” the Government and had “passed on this assurance to the Prime Minister”.
In the letter, he said there was “a direct threat to everything Greater Manchester has always been about from a brand of politics which seeks to pit people against each other”.
He wrote: “I see this by-election as the front line of that fight for the Manchester way and I feel I owe it to a city which has given me so much to lead it from the front, despite the risks involved.”
