Those colleagues at Westminster who remember Andy Burnham as an MP and minister have a less ecstatic view of his powers than the citizens of Greater Manchester who have elected him their Mayor three times running. “A Blairite, a Brownite and a Corbynite walk into a pub, and the barman says, ‘What’ll you have, Mr Burnham?’” is a popular gag muttered between Labour veterans.

But in a parliamentary party with a majority first elected in 2024, there are only a few cynics left who remember his careerist shape-shifting. Since 2017 Burnham has boldly reinvented himself in Manchester as a leader. Now the “charismatic chameleon” faces the challenge of his life, with the greatest potential prize in British politics.

Burnham stood twice for the Labour leadership without success, in 2010 and 2015, and botched a move against Keir Starmer at last year’s conference. This time there is no doubt that he intends to become Labour leader and prime minister – and, he hopes, save the party.

First he has to become an MP. That challenge is massive and much greater than it would have been had he been allowed to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election. Starmer and Labour’s National Executive Committee blocked him then, but they are too enfeebled now to do it again.

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