Overview

• Andy Burnham says Labour MPs privately urged him to run and he declines to rule out a future tilt, while insisting he is not plotting an immediate return to Westminster.
• The Greater Manchester mayor accuses No 10 of fostering a “climate of fear” and warns Labour faces an “existential” threat without wholesale change.
• He outlines an “aspirational socialism” blueprint: greater public control of housing, energy, water and rail, a 50p top income tax rate with cuts for lower earners, higher council tax on expensive southern homes, and £40bn borrowing for council housebuilding.
• A new Savanta poll reports 28% of voters think Burnham would be better than Starmer as prime minister, while ministers respond publicly and Lisa Nandy praises him as a “fantastic” figure without endorsing him to lead.
• Starmer defends his fiscal rules and rebuffs Burnham’s economics, and any formal challenge would require Burnham to resign as mayor, win a Commons seat and secure roughly 80 MP nominations.