Berger emerges as vocal supporter of Burnham on his return to Westminster
She recalls time working alongside Burnham under Corbyn
Jewish Labour peer Luciana Berger has emerged as a vocal supporter of Makerfield’s new MP, Andy Burnham, as he returned to Westminster poised to become the likely new Prime Minister.
Berger praised Burnham’s “very significant record as a politician both locally and nationally on several fronts.”
Berger revealed she had taken a seat in the House of Commons gallery to watch Burnham—Greater Manchester’s former mayor—be sworn in as MP for Makerfield.
He took the oath of allegiance to the Crown on a Bible and walked to the Commons despatch box, flanked by Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley and Leigh and Atherton’s Jo Platt.
Berger, who served as MP for Liverpool Wavertree before being made a peer by Keir Starmer in December 2024, reflected on her experience working alongside Burnham when both were members of Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow team.
“I’ve seen him up close and personal on the work he does,” Berger told Sky News. “As a fellow north-west MP, I witnessed the relationships he built with Hillsborough families, and the impact he had in driving meaningful change.”
She also credited Burnham with delivering “real tangible changes” as Greater Manchester mayor, particularly regarding the NHS.
Commenting on the enthusiastic reception from Labour MPs as Burnham posed for a photograph in Westminster Hall, Berger added: “The fact that people are coalescing around this is indicative of the hope he brings and the vision he has set out in his campaign.”
Berger also reflected on Starmer’s legacy as Prime Minister, noting that he had made the party “safe” again for her to return after the challenges of rampant antisemitism under Corbyn.
However, she suggested that “politics is in a very different place” than when Starmer was elected in 2024, and stressed the need for “urgency” and “compassion” to deliver the change the country now needs.
Labour sources note that Berger has sometimes taken positions at odds with most party peers on issues under Starmer’s leadership, most notably on the Assisted Dying Bill.
Burnham joined numerous Labour MPs and peers for a welcome photograph in Westminster Hall, standing in front of his colleagues on the stone stairs of the medieval hall.
He received a warm round of applause and was accompanied by Deputy Labour Leader Lucy Powell and Jessica Morden, chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Senior ministers present included Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, and Chief Whip Jonathan Reynolds.
Former leadership rival Wes Streeting, who recently pledged his support for Burnham’s campaign, also attended, as did former defence minister Al Carns, who has previously indicated he might challenge for the leadership in the event of a contest. Other prominent Labour figures in attendance included Angela Rayner, the former Deputy Prime Minister
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