ANDY Burnham would “crash the economy” with his big push to drag the country to the left, senior government sources say.
The damning warning of a Liz Truss-style meltdown comes as the Manchester mayor says MPs are urging him topple Sir Keir Starmer.
Andy Burnham says MPs privately urging him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer[/caption]
Burnham launched a thinly-veiled attack on Rachel Reeves saying the government has to get beyond being “in hock” to the bond markets.
The war-of-words comes as Labour explodes into civil war on the eve of their conference starting in Liverpool this weekend.
But a government source today said: “Andy’s economic plan is to crash the economy and push up mortgage rates.
They added: “It’s not serious and the Blairite Burnham from the 2000s knows it.”
He appears to suggest the Chancellor should go on a borrowing splurge as he attempts to undermine the Labour party hierarchy.
Reeves is expected to use her conference speech on Monday to say the government can only pursue Labour policies if the markets have confidence in their fiscal plans.
Burnham has given major interviews to The Telegraph and New Statesman in recent days where he has set out his own raft of policies saying they would “turn the country around”.
He also wants higher council tax on expensive homes in London and the south-east and a £40 billion borrowing spree to build council homes.
Burnham also wants to embark on lowering income tax for low-earners and a 50p rate for higher earners.
It comes as speculation mounts that he is looking for a Parliamentary seat as way back into Westminster where he could then launch a leadership challenge.
But Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Times Radio that suggestions Burnham could launch a bid for the Labour leadership as “tittle tattle”.
He said: “I’ve seen this movie before. When we were in opposition, we used to hear similar things about Keir Starmer.
hat was before he picked this party up off the floor and led us into a record-breaking general election victory.
“Now our job is to get on and change the country.”
He added: “Change is what people voted for, change is what we’re going to deliver, and I’m not going to be diverted by tittle-tattle in the papers.”
Any potential Andy Burnham leadership bid would be his third attempt.
He lost out in 2010 to the eventual winner Ed Miliband and then again in 2015 when he lost out to Jeremy Corbyn.
