As a good Labour man, I’m sure Andy Burnham will have read his Marx (even if he is by no stretch a Marxist). And he’ll likely be aware of Marx’s maxim, “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce”. It’s far from always true, of course. But it’s true often enough that when we fail to learn from history we really should know better.

Johnson and Burnham are very different and have different political outlooks. But the parallels are real

Johnson and Burnham are very different and have different political outlooks. But the parallels are real

Which brings us to Boris Johnson. After eight years as a mayor, he returned to the Commons in a by-election. His party then turned to him to replace the stolid, wooden prime minister who was sending its MPs into paroxysms of despair. He then set out a decade-long plan to change Britain, with regional investment his key priority.

Ring any bells? Other than Burnham having been mayor for nine years, and a general election between Johnson returning to the Commons and his becoming PM, the parallels are clear. And they are far from the only resemblances – some of which should ring alarm bells given the chaos of Johnson’s time as prime minister.

One of Johnson’s most glaring........

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