Burnham 'going to be PM' as 'herd is stampeding' against Starmer, says Harriet Harman

Andy Burnham will become prime minister as the herd is "not just moving" against Sir Keir Starmer "it's stampeding", Harriet Harman told Sky News.

Speaking to Sky's political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast following Burnham's win in the Makerfield by-election, she said: "Well, I hate to quote Boris Johnson, but do you remember what he said, when he realised that he had to leave government? And he said about his ministers and his MPs, the 'herd is moving'.

"Well, I have to say that it's not only that the herd is moving, they are stampeding."

"We need an animal expert on this programme to tell us about herds, because the point about herds is that if you get left behind by the herd, you know, that's it. You know, you're extinct. And there is this sense of collective movement."

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She said: "I think it's going to happen - that Andy Burnham is going to become prime minister. Keir Starmer is going to be leaving office."

Around 100 Labour MPs have already called on Sir Keir Starmer to stand aside in the wake of the party's huge defeat in May's local elections.

Starmer also has been hit with a number of high-profile ministerial resignations in recent weeks, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Defence Secretary John Healey.

And it's expected that cabinet ministers will hold conversations with Sir Keir over the weekend to discuss his future, with some expected to tell the prime minister to set out a timetable for his departure from Downing Street.

"I think things have really changed, and I don't think there's going to be any question of a timetable," says Baroness Harman.

"I mean, some people were talking about September - we cannot have ministers in a state of paralysis all the way through the summer.

"I don't think Andy Burnham is even going to be going on his summer holidays, because he knows people want change, so he will hit the ground running."

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She added: "Though by the time we come back in September, he will have done loads of things from the manifesto that people want to see happen.

"And by the time we get to [The Labour Party] conference in September, we'll be at a complete different pace of change."

Burnham's victory in Makerfield was declared early on Thursday morning, with him winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231 over second-placed Reform.

Following his victory, he said it "could just be the turning point" for Labour as he promised to "lay out a new path for Britain".

But Sir Keir has remained defiant, vowing to stand in any potential leadership contest, saying: "I will run, I will stand".

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