The Greater Manchester mayor is Labour's candidate in the contest and is hoping to win the House of Commons seat with a view to going on to challenge Keir Starmer .

Party politicians and activists including a former leader have told Zack Polanski that it is in the party's interests to lend support to the Greater Manchester mayor on June 18.

The left-wing party is split over how hard to challenge Andy Burnham, with some urging against a ‘full campaign’ against the electoral reform believer