Starmer facing pressure from Burnham and Streeting allies not to fight leadership challenge

Andy Burnham speaks to supporters on the morning after winning the Makerfield byelection. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Andy Burnham speaks to supporters on the morning after winning the Makerfield byelection. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian Starmer facing pressure from Burnham and Streeting allies not to fight leadership challenge One Labour MP said there are about 200 who are prepared – if necessary – to sign Burnham’s nomination papers UK politics – live updates How quickly could Burnham become PM? Allies of Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting will ask cabinet ministers, friends and Labour grandees to persuade Keir Starmer over the weekend not to fight a leadership challenge. Burnham, who won a compelling majority in the Makerfield byelection overnight, is expected to travel to London on Monday to meet MPs in the expectation of becoming prime minister within weeks. One MP said they believed there were about 200 Labour MPs prepared – if necessary – to sign Burnham’s nomination papers for a challenge. Starmer was said to be calling members of the cabinet on Friday afternoon to set out his determination to fight on. At least two, Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood, have previously suggested to the prime minister that he should set out a timetable for his departure. One source said they believed some other cabinet ministers would press the prime minister about whether fighting a leadership contest would be wise. Senior Labour sources said they believed that if the prime minister did not resign over the weekend – or indicate that he would allow a transition to a new leader – then there would be an intervention at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting. “The prime minister cannot pull the same move again where he refuses to talk to his own cabinet about his future,” one senior source said. “He has a choice of allowing his cabinet and ministers to show open support for his rivals or risk the same situation as Boris Johnson, where you have three education secretaries in three days.” Starmer has insisted he will not resign as prime minister and he would fight any leadership contest . The prime minister told reporters at an event in north London: “If there is a contest, just to be clear with you, then, yes, I will run.” He also warned that such a contest would “plunge us into chaos” and that Labour needed to “pull together” to contest the byelection to replace Burnham as the mayor of Greater Manchester . Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary who helped lead Burnham’s campaign, called for Starmer to avoid what would be a “brutal and unpleasant” leadership contest and set out a timetable for his exit. One MP close to the Burnham campaign said the prime minister needed to “get it out of his system” before he reaches the “inevitable” conclusion. Streeting has told supporters that a leadership contest should still go ahead, but it can only be “comradely” if the prime minister does not take part. Several backers of Stree