Right now, this made-up constituency looks very much like Makeorbreakerfield for Mr Burnham - and, quite possibly, for Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of us.

This is a high-stakes gamble for everyone involved. But then, in Labour politics right now, everything is

Winning the Makerfield by-election could be a major challenge for Andy Burnham, as he is eyeing up a new role in Westminster.