Andy Burnham plans to give Sir Keir Starmer one final chance to 'do the decent thing' and resign before orchestrating a putsch to remove him from Downing Street.

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a leadership coup within hours of Thursday's by-election in Makerfield if Andy Burnham wins the crunch contest, Labour MPs have said.

The polls are all sending the same message. Andy Burnham is on course for a close, but clear, victory. At which point, the final act of Keir Starmer's premiership will open.