Starmer v Burnham: will it split Labour? – podcast | Andy Burnham

Since leaving Westminster to become Manchester’s first mayor in 2017, Andy Burnham has been dogged by questions about returning to parliament for the top job. He never hid his ambition to one day become prime minister; He didn’t actually make it, given that he tried and failed twice to become Labor leader. However, he repeatedly emphasized that he was extremely happy when he returned to his beloved north and had no plans to return to London.

Then on Saturday night it finally cracked. He wrote to Labour’s ruling body to ask for permission to take part in Gorton and Denton, promising a “promising and unifying campaign” and admitting it was a risky move. He was not certain to win the by-election, and if successful he would have to give up the mayoralty. But instead he was blocked from standing by the committee, which included Keir Starmer.

Peter WalkerSenior political correspondent tells Helen Pidd on the extraordinary weekend: “It’s a classic Labor seam. I know every party does it, but Labor does it in its own unique way.” So is this the end of Burnham’s ambitions? “Hardly,” Walker says.