Now that Andy Burnham has been confirmed as the next Labour leader and, failing an extraordinary objection from the King, is soon to be the next Prime Minister, he faces the daunting task of bringing his fractious body of MPs onside.
The former Greater Manchester mayor has gone to great lengths to show he will lead a broad church when it comes to the Labour Party, welcoming voices from all parts of the movement and stressing the importance of unity.
Burnham has even claimed he will abandon the age-old parliamentary practice of whipping, used by political parties to convince – and often coerce – their MPs to vote in a manner of a leader’s choosing.
Shorts
How long such laudable pledges will last in reality remains to be seen, but the so-called “King of the North” may find that ruling by committee is easier said than done.
