Andy Burnham has told BBC Radio Manchester this morning that his blockage was “really disappointing.” He said:
“It’s hard when something like that happens, it’s really disappointing. What I was offering the party, I think, was an alternative path to the one that the party is now on. What I was saying to them was that I think, without being arrogant about it, because of what I’ve contributed to building in Greater Manchester, I was in a strong position to fight back this different type of politics that is trying to come in and trying to win our council seats and come into Greater Manchester in a big way. I believed I was probably in a better position than anybody to fight back against that.”
Burnham complained again about the No10 briefing that claimed he was warned he would be blocked prior to applying, saying he had spoken to Starmer and “anybody paid by the public purse does not get licence to lie.” Technically they do until the ill-fated Hillsborough Law comes in…
He said he wouldn’t be “bitter“:
“In the aftermath of all of this, I’m not going to be sort of bitter and I’m going to be out there campaigning in the by-election but I am going to call that one thing out. I have been 30 years in the Labour Party, it is a hard decision for me to take as I agonised over it but I believed I was making it in the best interests of Greater Manchester.”
Burnham can enjoy campaigning in the by-election he said Labour will now lose…
Overheard by a co-conspirator in Parliament, minister Chris Bryant speaking to Tory MP Paul Holmes:
“You must be happy now that all the bastards are leaving.”