When he appeared on Question Time yesterday evening, Andy Burnham said the quiet bit out loud – he does intend to run for the Labour leadership, though he incorrectly stated that Wes Streeting has already triggered a contest. In fact, it might be on Burnham to do so if he wins the Makerfield by-election on 18 June.

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Those who have headed to the mean streets of Makerfield recently have found Burnham awkwardly bestriding the fence and talking up his local roots, as well as his achievements as mayor of Manchester, without looking like he’s measuring the curtains in Downing Street.

But those who are advising him behind the scenes are keen for him to flesh out what he stands for and to devise a plan of action which will convince Labour MPs to back him against Keir Starmer and Streeting and the markets to leave him be to enact what he........

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