On the eve of a by-election that could sound the death knell for his political career, Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to fight on. From the G7 summit in France, the Prime Minister made a few last-ditch attempts to try to put Andy Burnham off plunging the knife into his back a little while longer.

On one side are the Burnham loyalists, exuding confidence with a hint of cockiness. On the other are Starmer loyalists

On one side are the Burnham loyalists, exuding confidence with a hint of cockiness. On the other are Starmer loyalists

One was the promise of a ‘big role in government’. The other was a reminder that Labour is about to be pulled into a high-stakes fight for the Manchester mayoralty. Sir Keir’s team are determined to delay a challenge so they can put as many hurdles in Burnham’s way as........

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