Alistair Campbell

I think they've both been in the wrong.

No, I'll tell you why.

Because, look, part of the job of political leadership is to have and make sure you have good relations with all the people who might become a threat.

And I'm not sure, look, I know Andy Burnham well, and I talked to him from time to time.

I think he has felt that the number 10 operation has sort of been suspicious of him, pushed him away, kept him at a distance.

He's a Labour politician, okay?

And he's the mayor of Manchester, and he's been elected to serve several years as mayor of Manchester.

And in a way, he's signalled too overtly, in my view,

that the reason he wants to get into parliament is to mount a challenge against Keir Starmer.

Now, if you're Keir Starmer, it's not your responsibility as leader of the Labour Party to say, bring it on.

I think Andy Burnham must have known, should have known, that the national executive was likely to block him from doing this because that was the state, that was the purpose.

Well, hold on a minute.

I think there is something big.

I was really surprised over the weekend when this was going on.

How many people, including big supporters, one in particular, big supporter of Andy Burnham in Manchester said,

who said to me this, he said he was sickened by it.

Because he said Andy Byrne has been elected as mayor.

Every recognizer is doing a very good job.

And he's basically saying to Manchester, you are a bit of a kind of stepping stone because I think I should be prime minister.

Everybody's focusing on Keir Starmer's... And by the way, I think they're both to blame for the state of the mess that's being created, okay?