Exclusive: Allies of the Greater Manchester mayor have told The Independent that the decision to finally come clean publicly about his leadership ambitions was necessary to prove to voters in Makerfield that he will change Labour’s ‘toxic’ brand

Burnham argued that 'the public here are saying quite loudly to all of us, we need something different here'.

Exclusive: Allies of the Greater Manchester mayor have told The Independent that the decision to finally come clean publicly about his leadership ambitions was necessary to prove…