Ministers loyal to Sir Keir Starmer are plotting how to paint his rival Andy Burnham as a great untested leader without a mandate to govern, The i Paper can reveal.
One Cabinet source, who is supportive of the Prime Minister, believes that 95 per cent of Starmer’s top team will stand by him as enthusiasm for the Mayor of Greater Manchester is cooling.
They argued that some Labour MPs and ministers were beginning to question what Burnham stands for.
Shorts
Starmer had been expected to join Burnham on the campaign trail this week, but it is understood that is no longer likely to happen. One senior Whitehall source said: “The PM knows they hate him up there. I think there were concerns he would be booed.”
