How Greens could pressure Burnham on electoral reform - as they warn he won't 'walk seat'

The Green Party could use a by-election to pressure Andy Burnham into committing to electoral reform if he becomes Labour leader in the future.

The Greater Manchester Mayor is a high-profile backer of Proportional Representation (PR) but this is not Labour Party policy.

It is a key point of difference with the Greens, who have long campaigned to replace the UK's First Past the Post system (FPTP), in which the candidate that wins the most votes in a constituency wins the seat.

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FPTP is a challenge for smaller insurgent parties, whose share of the vote tends to be spread across the country rather than compressed in single areas.

Green insiders have told Sky News they are planning to increase criticisms of "the broken electoral system" and highlight their longstanding calls for PR as a key difference with Labour, as they continue to eat into the party's progressive voter base.

A potential by-election with Burnham, who needs a seat in parliament to fulfil his Labour leadership ambitions, could be a high-profile chance to have that debate.

The potential Starmer successor said as recently as January that PR could "deliver a more functional Britain".

There is hope that in making this a key issue on the doorstep, he will set out if, and how, he would implement electoral reform in the event of becoming prime minister.

If he makes a clear commitment, it may lead to the Greens focusing more of their resources on the Manchester Mayoralty that would also become vacant, as it would ultimately be in their interests for Burnham to get into parliament on a promise of electoral reform.

A Green source insisted they would not let Burnham "walk" any future contest, telling Sky News: "Burnham shouldn't feel entitled to a seat. Voters in both constituencies he's rumoured to be considering standing in voted Green in the recent local elections.

"People in Manchester and across the country want real change, and that includes electoral reform. Everyone can see that the current system is undemocratic and unfit for purpose."

PM's fate hangs in the balance

Starmer is fighting for his political survival following last week's catastrophic local election results, which have led to calls for him to go from over a quarter of his backbenchers as well as the resignation of Wes Streeting as health secretary.

Allies of Burnham have been saying all week that they have identified a seat where an MP is willing to stand down and make way for him to return to parliament in the case of a leadership contest.

Rumoured areas included Manchester Rusholme and Manchester Withington, where the Greens have been making gains.

However on Thursday Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield, announced he was planning to step aside to allow the so-called "King of the North" a route back into parliament - and Downing Street.

Reform is the bigger challenger here, coming second in the general election with 30% of the vote.

Burnham's obstacles

However responding to the news tonight, Green Party leader Zack Polanski said whatever the outcome, Burnham "will need to make clear which version of him is going to show up".

"Is it the politician who has been part and parcel of the Labour establishment for decades, abstaining on legislation making brutal cuts to welfare, PFI and other Labour privatisations, or is it the one who has publicly supported proportional representation, been a popular Mayor in Manchester and expressed support to make changes to the failed economic model."

The Greens have soared in popularity under Mr Polanski, making gains all over the country at last week's local elections including in Labour strongholds across Burnham's turf in the northwest.

However, FPTP has led to questions about the left vote splitting at the next general election, making the path easier for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

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Polanski has not ruled out a pact if Starmer is replaced, suggesting he could work with Burnham or Angela Rayner - but not Streeting, who is on the right of the Labour Party.

Allies of Streeting have said he will not trigger a leadership challenge immediately, amid speculation he doesn't have the numbers to get one over the line with the backing of 81 MPs.

While it remains to be seen how a by-election will play out, the Greens also plan to push for electoral reform in parliament, seizing on the new era of multi-party politics as a new case for overturning the voting system.

As part of the plan, Ellie Chowns, the MP for North Herefordshire, is planning to table an amendment to the King's Speech which would "include measures to introduce proportional representation for all national and local elections before the next General Election".

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Ms Chowns told Sky News: "The old 'first past the post' winner-takes-all system is totally unsuited for today's multi-party politics.

"The majority of voters no longer support the two biggest parliamentary parties, and a party can secure a landslide majority of seats on a small minority of the vote. That simply isn't democratic. It's long past time to introduce proportional representation so that everyone's voice, and vote, counts equally."

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