Diana backs Andy Burnham for Labour Leader

Diana Johnson MP has made a statement on why she is today nominating Andy Burnham to be Leader of the Labour Party.

“With nominations opening today for the position of Leader of the Labour Party, I have nominated Andy Burnham.

“I have previously worked with Andy in Parliament on exposing the infected blood scandal and on the related campaign for a Hillsborough Law.

“More recently, in both my roles as Policing Minister and as Employment Minister, I have engaged with Andy as Mayor of Greater Manchester on issues such as reducing serious violence and knife crime, improving vocational training and quality apprenticeships.

“I know that Andy will work to honour manifesto pledges and build on the progress made since 2024 in areas like child poverty, boosting defence spending and controlling immigration.

“However, while governing for the whole country, Andy also offers a particularly valuable understanding of how regenerating and reindustrialising Northern England, and postcodes outside the congested South East and London, is an essential precondition for growing the UK economy as a whole.

“I also agree with what Andy has been saying on the cost of living, building more affordable homes for local people and supporting small businesses, including in sectors such as pubs and hospitality.”