Burnham allies plan cross-party council to stop a Reform UK government

Allies of Andy Burnham will form a new "council" of cross-party figures to discuss working together to stop a Reform UK government.

The "council for the progressive majority" is being instigated by Compass, a centre-left thinktank whose founder Neal Lawson is an influential supporter of the Greater Manchester mayor.

The council will be comprised of two leading figures from each of the progressive parties in the UK - Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the SNP and Plaid Cymru.

Voters from these parties make up what Compass calls the "progressive majority" over the Conservatives and Reform and its previous incarnations.

The thinktank argues closer collaboration is needed, as while the progressive majority has won the largest share of the vote in 10 of the 11 elections since 1979, there have only been four electoral victories under the first past the post system.

There have been no official appointments to the council yet, but as well as Mr Burnham, figures Compass are close to include Green Party leader Zack Polanski and former Green MP Caroline Lucas.

They are both due to speak at an event on Saturday hosted by Compass called Mobilising the Progressive Majority.

Mr Burnham dropped out due to campaigning in the Makerfield by-election.

However in a recent Observer interview, he did not rule out a pact with the Greens - something Mr Polanski has also suggested he is open to if Mr Burnham succeeds Sir Keir Starmer, who is facing threats of a leadership challenge.

Compass wants people on the council who can be close to or act as proxies for their party's leadership - so this could be former leaders or ex-MPs as well as senior sitting MPs.

It will have a chair that is non-party aligned, such as an academic or a senior civil society figure.

Appointments are due to be made by the end of the summer, with the group expected to meet four times a year to discuss and organise all options for how the "progressive majority" can prevent a Reform UK victory at the next general election.

This will include discussions around electoral pacts as well as hosting joint conversations and data sharing, it is understood.

Mr Lawson told Sky News that Britain's fractured political landscape has ended the "century-long two-party order" and we are now "staggering into a two-bloc system, with up to seven political parties holding power".

He said the progressive majority "could be a long-term transformative force in British politics" but it must "actively be formed into a progressive bloc both before and after the next general election".

He added: "As the potential for electoral and political chaos - in which the populist right prosper - comes into view, there is a requirement to think through and plan for effective mobilisation of the progressive majority into a force that is capable of defeating Reform and the causes of Reform.

"This is why Compass... is now instigating the council for the progressive majority as a key institutional space where leading politicians and influencers can assess the need for the effective mobilisation of this majority, and examine the tactics and strategy necessary to build progressive electoral and governing prowess."

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Mr Lawson will be speaking in a joint discussion with Mr Polanski at Saturday's event, which will host panels on how progressive parties can find common ground on policies and values, including immigration.

Labour speakers include the soft left MPs Clive Lewis and Alex Sobel, as well as senior backbencher Stella Creasey.

The event will also hear from Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage, who has recently said her party needs a strategy for coalition.

With Reform UK leading in the national polls, there has long been talk of electoral pacts at the next election to stop the left vote splitting.

However the idea is divisive within all parties. Mr Burnham was criticised by some Labour MPs for initially being due to speak at the event with Mr Polanski.

Many Labour MPs on the moderate wing believe there is a reputational risk to working with the Greens, who have been dogged by allegations of antisemitism recently.

The Greens are also split on the issue. Some back the idea if Mr Burnham takes over from Sir Keir, given his support for proportional representation aligns with their long-standing party policy.

But others have argued against giving him an easy ride, stating that it is the Greens' role to challenge Labour rather than assist it regardless of who is at the top.

(c) Sky News 2026: Burnham allies plan cross-party council to stop a Reform UK government