What was claimed
Andy Burnham has lost a Labour leadership contest twice—once to Sir Keir Starmer.
Our verdict
Incorrect. Mr Burnham has run in two Labour leadership contests and lost both, but Mr Starmer wasn’t a candidate on either occasion. Mr Burnham didn’t stand in the leadership contest Mr Starmer won in 2020.
The Daily Mail has corrected a column by the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson after Full Fact got in touch. The article, published last week, wrongly claimed that Andy Burnham lost a Labour leadership contest to Sir Keir Starmer.
Writing about the Greater Manchester mayor, Mr Johnson said: “Even if the good people of Makerfield are willing to serve as human trampolines for his ambition, is he, in fact, nailed on to win the leadership? If you look at his record, it turns out he has lost twice—once to Starmer himself.”
While it’s true that Mr Burnham has twice before contested the Labour leadership, and lost both times, he did not lose to Mr Starmer.
Mr Burnham stood for Labour leader in 2010 and 2015, losing to Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn respectively. Mr Starmer did not contest either of those leadership elections (he wasn’t an MP in 2010, and had only just entered parliament in 2015).
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Mr Burnham did not stand in the Labour leadership election won by Mr Starmer in 2020. Only sitting MPs can become Labour party leader, and by this point Mr Burnham had left parliament.
The amended Boris Johnson column on the Daily Mail website now correctly says: “If you look at [Mr Burnham’s] record, it turns out he has lost twice.” The Daily Mail told us it also plans to publish a print correction—we’re grateful for the quick response.
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