Andy Burnham gives Keir Starmer huge headache as he refuses to back digital ID policy

Andy Burnham has hit Keir Starmer with another series of digs - as he told the PM he thought it was not the right time to introduce digital ID cards.

The Greater Manchester Mayor has been turning heads at Labour ’s annual conference with his criticism of the Government amid rumours he’d be a prime candidate to one day succeed Mr Starmer.

At an event hosted by the Guardian Politics podcast live, Mr Burnham was asked whether he backed digital ID, to which he said: "Not now."

And he failed to shut down questions over whether he would give up his mayoralty amid speculation he'd like to stand as an MP, with the aim of becoming Labour leader.

READ MORE: Andy Burnham flees conference as Mirror confronts him with Keir Starmer question

Asked whether he would stay in his position until the end of the term, the mayor told an event hosted by the Guardian Politics podcast live: "I can't predict the future." But he added that "you would have to wrench" him out of the role, saying: "I am committed to my role as mayor of Greater Manchester."

He refused to say whether he had spoken to MPs about the prospect of a leadership bid, but insisted: "I can't launch a leadership campaign, I'm not in parliament, so that is the bottom line."

Criticism of the digital ID cards is the latest intervention from Mr Burnham, who has been stirring up trouble in conference. The policy was unveiled by Mr Starmer as a significant announcement on the eve of conference on Friday.

The so-called “BritCards” are not billed as compulsory but every adult will need one when trying to get a job or rent a home in the UK, meaning they will be effectively mandatory. They will allow employers or landlords to verify a citizen's right to live and work in the UK by making it easier for them to check someone’s immigration status.

The digital IDs - which would be stored on smartphones in GOV.UK ’s wallet app - would be checked against a central database of people entitled to live and work in the UK.

Elsewhere at the event today, Mr Burnham piled pressure on the Government to scrap the two-child benefit limit, as well as suggesting reform of land value taxation and council tax.

He also called on the Government to look at rebalancing a system in which he said "we overtax people's work and we undertax wealth and assets''.

And he hit back at criticism over his economic ideas, after he last week suggested a 50p top rate of income tax and a tax cut for lower earners, as well an end to reliance on overseas lending.

During Rachel Reeves’s conference speech earlier, she found time for thinly-veiled swipe at the Greater Manchester Mayor. “There are still people who peddle the idea that we can cast off restraints on spending,” the Chancellor said. “They’re wrong - dangerously so.”

But Mr Burnham later said: "I reject entirely this idea that I'm sort of hopeless and I've no idea about how to make it add up. I'm doing it every day in Greater Manchester. No-one ever says Greater Manchester is run in a financially imprudent way."

Elsewhere during the event, Mr Burnham said he hopes to rejoin the EU at some point, saying: “Long term, I'm going to be honest, I'm going to say it... I hope in my lifetime I see this country rejoin." He added: "People prosper more when they're part of unions."

Yesterday, Mr Burnhamclaimed there is a “climate of fear”within Labour which is stopping people from debating the direction of Government.

The Mayor criticised that Labour MPs had lost the whip for trying to protect disability benefits or for voting against the two-child benefit limit. In a direct challenge to Keir Starmer, he said debate is being “closed down” and called for “change” in how the PM is running the party.

He has insisted his interventions are not because he wants to be leader but because he wants to open a debate about the direction of the party.

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