Ghostings and betrayals: Starmer's cabinet prepares for an Andy Burnham coup
6/16/202629 min
Makerfield is the most consequential by-election in history. Andy Burnham is confident he'll win. What happens then? When and how does he make a move? What can Keir Starmer do to thwart him? We have several scoops for you today.
Listen to find out which cabinet ministers are thinking of resigning after Makerfield and which senior figure has been ghosting the PM.
If Andy Burnham does get to Number 10, the whole direction of his premiership will depend on who he picks for his cabinet. We bring you the latest on what his team is thinking.
And of course it's also possible that Reform UK could beat Labour in Makerfield — what then?
Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times
Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times
Executive producer: Molly Guinness
Video editor: George Clare
Picture credit: Getty Images
Audio: Times Radio
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Steven Swinford· Host0:30
A decade on from the seismic EU referendum, the question remains: what has the leave result truly meant for the UK? Host Ben Taylor, the editor at The Sunday Times, will be joined by guest speakers on June the 29th in London to examine what we've learned since leaving the European Union. Has the dust finally settled, or is it still difficult to see how Brexit has reshaped the nation? For tickets, go to thetimes.com/events. That's thetimes.com/events. [upbeat music] This week we bring you a particularly scoop-packed episode of The State of It ahead of the most consequential by-election in history. That's the Makefield by-election on Thursday, which will bring Andy Burnham potentially back to Westminster and possibly into number 10.
Patrick Maguire· Host1:16
I don't think there should be a, a, a contest. If there is a contest, I intend to be in it, uh, and to fight it.
Steven Swinford· Host1:22
Right. Lara, scoop number one, what could happen next?
Lara Spirit· Host1:26
Well, there are cabinet ministers I'm told, some,