Burnham says claims that he was told in advance about by-election block are ‘simply untrue’

Andy Burnham has once again put himself on a collision course with Downing Street after stating that a No 10 briefing suggesting he had been told he would be rejected before applying to be the Labour candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election was “untrue”.

Sources close to Sir Keir Starmer had told ITV that Mr Burnham was “informed in no uncertain terms that he would be repulsed if he requested permission of the NEC committee to put his name forward for the by-election. He chose to do so, they say, knowing the outcome in advance.”