Ruthless plotter or dad dancer? Insiders reveal the real Andy Burnham

Burnham is an unusual figure in politics because even colleagues angry at her ouster of Sir Keir Starmer say she is a kind and decent person.

But does he have the experience and skills to boost Labor morale and tackle the deep problems the country has?

An old friend wonders: “He’s a very nice guy, but I don’t know if he’s ready for this; that’s the honest question.”

Being Mr. Nice Guy is not enough to be an effective prime minister in a confusing and brutal political age.

But you can be cruel with a smile, and Andy Burnham is ready to follow the advice of one of the most influential leaders of recent decades, not one of the prime ministers, but Sir Alex Ferguson.

I’m told the former Manchester United boss bumped into Burnham and wanted to chat about politics.

He wanted to know why there was so much bad blood and briefings between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown; If she were Blair, she’d “throw him in a room and tell him, ‘either you’re with me or you’re going to fuck off.'” His phrasing was much cruder than that, but you get the point.

A close ally of Burnham told me: “Ferguson we may need a hairdryer – this is our moment and if you’re not with me, bye and thanks for your time, we may have to tell people.”