Keir Starmer with Andy Burnham at the launch of Labour's election manifesto last year.

Andy Burnham has called on Labour MPs to vote down the government’s welfare cuts – despite Keir Starmer’s attempts to buy off his backbench rebels.

The Manchester mayor said the prime minister had only performed “half a U-turn”, which did not go far enough.

His comments, at an event at the Glastonbury festival, will be seen as a direct challenge to the PM’s authority.

The government announced on Friday that it was watering down its plans to cut £5 billion from the welfare budget........

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