UK may be ‘tipped into a general election’ if Burnham replaces Starmer, says Harman

Former deputy Labour leader says Nigel Farage could say Manchester mayor is a ‘usurper’ and he may seek his own mandate

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The UK may find itself “tipped into a general election” if Andy Burnham replaces Keir Starmer as prime minister, Labour’s former deputy leader Harriet Harman said on Tuesday.

If Burnham replaces Starmer as prime minister in the coming months, he may feel he needs to secure his own mandate, partly because Nigel Farage would accuse him of being a “usurper”, she told an audience at the Hay literary festival.