Streeting says he would join leadership race as Burnham vows to 'save' Labour

Streeting says he would join leadership race as Burnham vows to 'save' Labour44 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleElla KiplingReuters/BBCBurnham and Streeting are widely seen as two of Sir Keir Starmer's main rivals as he faces pressure over his leadership of the Labour PartyWes Streeting has confirmed he would enter any potential Labour leadership contest, days after resigning as health secretary and telling the prime minister he had "lost confidence" in him.Streeting said on Saturday: "We need a proper contest with the best candidates on the field, and I will be standing."Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told the BBC he was seeking to stand in the Makerfield by-election to "save" the Labour Party.Burnham - who is widely expected to try to replace Sir Keir Starmer as leader should he be selected as the party's candidate in the by-election and win - said the vote must be a moment to "reclaim the Labour party, to save it from where it's been".The prime minister is resisting calls to stand down and set a timetable for his departure following Labour's election losses in early May - and is expected to fight any challenge from likely contenders, including Burnham and Streeting.Burnham cleared to run for selection in pivotal by-electionWhat next for Starmer? Five scenarios in Labour leadership crisisHow Rayner, Streeting and Burnham weakened PM in 12 hours of political dramaStreeting resigned on Thursday but stopped short of formally launching a challenge to Sir Keir's leadership.Asked on Saturday whether he had the backing of the 81 Labour MPs needed to trigger such a contest, Streeting said: "I do have support in the parliamentary party, but this week I also had a choice."Speaking to reporters at a conference hosted by Labour-aligned political organisation Progress, he went on to say the party could have "rushed" into a contest.But doing so without...