On its own terms, Keir Starmer’s faction blocking Andy Burnham from standing in the upcoming Gorton and Denton byelection is perfectly rational. It is screamingly obvious that the mayor of Greater Manchester sought a return to Westminster so that he could overthrow the prime minister, once Labour is battered in the May elections.

Burnham promised he “would be there to support the work of the government, not undermine it”. But if, come spring, a new Plaid Cymru first minister of Wales is grinning like a Cheshire cat, the prince over the water could plausibly argue that keeping Starmer in No 10 is what is undermining the work of the government.

Starmer’s move is a rational decision, perhaps, if factional survival is your priority. But what about the wider Labour party’s survival? It has long been clear that Starmer’s cabal would rather burn the party to the ground than allow it to move in a more progressive direction.

The key argument cited for blocking Burnham is the risk of Labour losing Greater Manchester’s mayoralty to Reform UK. Just sit with that for a moment. In May 2024, Burnham won more than 63% of the vote. Reform came fourth with 7.5%. If defeat in a core Labour heartland is even remotely plausible, then Labour’s existence as a national political force is already in doubt.

So what exactly is the masterplan of Starmer’s faction, led by his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney – and what do they actually want? After all, as it was........

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