Andy Burnham explains why rescue dog Axel won’t be joining him at No 10

Andy Burnham has confirmed his pet dog Axel will not be moving into Downing Street, expressing concern the dog “will not get along with No 10’s famous resident cat, Larry”.

In his first major broadcast interview with the BBC, Mr Burnham revealed that the prime minister’s bichon frize-poodle cross will remain in the north of England.

He was asked whether his family pet would join the world-famous Cabinet Office’s famous “head rat” Larry.

Responding to the question, the Prime Minister affectionately named his own dog “Famous Axel”.

Mr Burnham added: “I think he’ll have to stay up north because he’s got sort of an angry little man thing about him. He’s got a bit of a poodle in him.”

“She’s a bitch, I guess they call it – or whatever the phrase is. And yeah, she doesn’t get along with Larry, let me put it that way, and I don’t think the nation would thank me if I brought Axel down to disturb Larry’s world, right?”

“So I guess he’s staying here.”

Bichon-Poo Axel spent just 12 days at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury before being adopted by Andy Burnham and his wife nearly 10 years ago.

Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Burnham was also asked what his mother said to him when she greeted him at Downing Street after he became prime minister.

He told the BBC: “Oh my God, I could tell you so much there but I won’t tell you all.

“But I’m very close to my mother, you know, I think you know that, and to my father too.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t be there because my father has Alzheimer’s, so we said a few words about him and how proud he would be.

“Yes, it’s a little difficult, but I said it was their success, it was both their success, it was my brother’s success, the community, the people who know me, all contributed.

“So, you know, the emotion of that moment was bittersweet, painful in one way, but beautiful in another, if you know what I mean.”