Laura Kuenssberg

Full beam message then from Andy Burnham's supporters to the party.

He can beat reform.

He is the special anointed one.

He should come and do this for the party in the country, not just here in Makerfield.

And that on Thursday morning or the early hours of Friday morning was clear as day that that was his message.

I mean, he didn't do a normal acceptance speech for a backbench MP.

He basically said, Keir Starmer, I am coming for your job.

And they are so kind of full of excitement and froth and excitement.

Somebody on the upper 13 said to me yesterday, you know, they are high on their own supply.

You can see the pictures of Burnham's team are amazing, all the sort of cheering, clapping, all the rest.

You know, they are absolutely believing, hoping they are on their way.

But the shifting pattern of support, if you like, behind Starmer is really the critical thing, because it's not up to Andy Burnham to decide if and when here Starmer goes.

It's not up to Andy Burnham to decide if he gets away with getting to number 10 without having a leadership contest.

It's not up to Andy Burnham to decide, even if Starmer has concluded that he will resign, does he do it straight away?

In which case, Andy Burnham, you're up and you better have some ideas and some plans.

Correct.

Or if Andy Burnham's desire is that Keir Starmer says, OK, we'll have a transition and you can move in in September.

But that's not in Andy Burnham's gift.

It's not up to him.

It's up to Keir Starmer.