RELATIONS between the Labour leadership and the party’s powerful regional mayors are reportedly under strain as Keir Starmer attempts to silence his internal critics.
The i newspaper reported a source as saying Starmer "hates" Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and that he was “furious” with London mayor Sadiq Khan over his free school meals policy.
A mayoral adviser was quoted by the paper as saying: “I don’t think it’s any secret that they hate Andy Burnham and brief against him.
“They are furious with Sadiq Khan about free school meals.”
Khan, who has also reportedly attracted the Labour leader’s ire over his plans to extend inner London’s ultra-low emissions zone to the city’s furthest reaches, has unveiled plans to provide free school lunches for the next academic year in state primary schools.
The paper reported that Starmer has been accused of failing to grasp the realities of England’s system of devolved regional authorities, such as those commanded by Burnham and Khan.
One source, described as a mayoral adviser, told the paper the relationship between the regional leaders and Labour high command was “non-existent”.
They said: “I don’t think the leader of the opposition knows what to do with metro mayors, they haven’t figured it out yet.
“I would say the relationship between Starmer and mayors has been non-existent. Their instinct is to command and control.
“Mayors don’t have the whip hanging over them, I think instinctively this administration feels uneasy about that because they are so focused on message discipline.”
The claims serve as the latest illustration of Starmer’s team’s controlling tendencies, after Tyneside mayor Jamie Driscoll was blocked from standing as the party’s candidate for the new North East mayoralty which will replace his in 2024.
Driscoll, who quit the party over the row, has accused Starmer of having a hand in thwarting his ambitions.
