Andy Burnham said he opposed plans for digital ID and rejected suggestions he was “hopeless” on the economy as he defended his recent interventions in national politics.
The Greater Manchester Mayor said “not now” when asked if he was in favour of rolling out the identity system announced by the Prime Minister last week.
And he left the door open for a future leadership bid, insisting “you would have to wrench” him out of the northwest but refusing to rule out the prospect of leaving his mayoralty before the end of the term.
Speaking at an event on the fringes of Labour’s annual conference hosted by the Guardian Politics podcast live, Mr Burnham hit back at criticism of his recent headline-grabbing proposals for changes to tax and spend.
“I reject entirely this idea that I’m sort of hopeless and I’ve no idea about how to make it add up,” he said.
“I’m doing it every day in Greater Manchester. No-one ever says Greater Manchester is run in a financially imprudent way.”
It comes after ministers appeared to liken his economic agenda, which includes a call for some £40 billion earmarked for housing to be spent exclusively on council homes, to Liz Truss’ mini-budget.
Mr Burnham made the proposals in a series of interviews with national media, during which he insisted he was “completely committed” to his role in the northwest but refused to rule out a future tilt at Sir Keir Starmer’s job.
Speaking on Monday, he sought to address “the sense I’m completely out for myself, disloyal”, citing behind-the-scenes work he says he has been doing to help progress the Government’s Hillsborough legislation.
“It sticks in my throat somewhat for people who have just arrived on the scene to be throwing some of the comments at me that they have done,” he said.
“I did everything that I possibly could (have) to make this conference a success.”
He said he had instead been seeking to provoke a wider debate within Labour about the party’s direction ahead of local elections next May, as the Government faces a sustained lag behind Reform UK in the polls.
“While the Government’s done good things, I don’t think it’s come together yet as that powerful story of the future of Britain,” Mr Burnham said.
Asked whether he would finish his full term as mayor, he said: “I am committed to my role as mayor of Greater Manchester.
“I can’t predict the future.”
He added: “There’s no ability for me to launch… I’m not going to go and say every conversation I have with every MP.
“I can’t launch a leadership campaign, I’m not in parliament, so that is the bottom line.”
In a quickfire round of questions, he distanced from the Government’s pledge to introduce digital ID by 2029 and said he wanted to see the UK rejoin the EU within his lifetime.
Asked whether he supported the ID system, he said: “Not now”, while on on Brussels he said his “long-term” goal would be to seek to return.
“People prosper more when they’re part of unions,” he told the event.
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