North Durham MP Luke Akehurst set out the process for a contest on BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme, but suggested it was unlikely to be needed.
“I shouldn’t express a view on that because I’m a member of the NEC [National Executive Committee] but I think it would be a realistic assessment of where colleagues are in the PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party],” he said.
“I think there’s such a head of steam behind Andy Burnham that I suspect there won’t be much of a contest and he may well get it at the nomination stage [16th July].”
Whittome, a member of Labour’s Socialist Campaign Group, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme having a contest would help decide how Labour should tackle the problems facing the country, including the cost of living crisis.
“We can’t answer that question without candidates setting out their stall transparently, and being scrutinised by members and by unions,” she said.
“I also think it’s important to say that a lack of party democracy and a lack of debate around politics and policies is part of what led us here in the first place, so it would be a mistake for us not to use this opportunity to learn where we went wrong and to figure out where we go next.”
But Jo White, one of Labour’s Red Wall MPs who back a crackdown on immigration, disagreed a contest was needed at all when Burnham already had so much support.
Speaking to the same programme she said: “To be honest I think it [a contest] is going to be a pointless charade.
“The majority of MPs I’ve spoken to so far, even MPs I hadn’t anticipated, are telling me they’re going to be backing Andy.”
About The Author
