Starmer-loyal Housing Secretary Steve Reed is on the broadcast round for the government this morning. Reed said of Starmer:
“He’s made clear his own position… That he’s not going to walk away and that he would he would fight it if there was a challenge. But we’ve got to focus not on internal debates in the Labour Party, but on facing the country and delivering the change.”
Asked whether he was in denial about Burnham’s intentions he said:
“Well, he said he said if there was a leadership challenge, he would be in it. But there isn’t. So therefore it’s hypothetical. Now I’m we are getting on with delivering change for this country… No, I’m not in denial. I’m just the country expects us to focus on the things that matter to them.”
Reed said focus now has to go on the Manchester mayoral election. He added “the public don’t like psychodrama” and said the Labour Party is “not going to fall apart in the way that the Conservatives did” after Burnham’s win: “Andy’s not that kind of person. Nobody wants that kind of fight inside the party.” If push comes to shove…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”