Helen Sanderson

Sources close to the PM tell me that Andy Burnham was informed in no uncertain terms that he would be repulsed if he requested permission of the NEC committee to put his name forward for the Gorton and Denton by election. He chose to do so, they say, knowing the outcome in advance. They therefore interpret his application as an explicit attempt to destabilise Starmer and sow dissent, rather than - which he claims - see off the threat from Reform. Per contra Burnham and his supporters accuse Starmer and the NEC committee of an anti democratic stitch-up. These supporters include the MP signatories of a letter I talked about on ITV Evening News yesterday. It says “there is no legitimate reason why Andy Burnham should not have the democratic right to put his candidacy to the local people of Gorton and Denton.” They also argue that the standoff between Burnham and Starmer “risks playing into the kind of division and disunity that Nigel Farage and Reform thrive on.” That is a statement of the bleedin’ obvious. What will be contested is whether the prime culprit is the PM or the Manchester mayor.