Andy Burnham has admitted that being blocked from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election was “hard”, but said he still worked with Sir Keir Starmer afterwards.
The new prime minister explained that things can “get difficult in terms of personal relationships in politics”, when asked about the current position of his relationship with his predecessor.
“People in politics have to recognise that when things happen, they are not necessarily personal,” he told the ‘How To Fail with Elizabeth Day’ podcast.
“They happen because the political moods of the times are shaping things, and people have to accept that.”
In January, the then prime minister Sir Keir blocked Mr Burnham's attempt to return to Westminster in the Gorton and Denton by-election, voting with other members of the party’s National Executive Committee to reject his request to be allowed to stand.
Asked how difficult it was to maintain friendships in politics, such as with Ed Miliband against whom he stood for the leadership in 2010, and with Sir Keir, whom he challenged as prime minister, Mr Burnham said he did not thrive on personal campaigns against people.
“So yes, it can get difficult in terms of personal relationships in politics,” he said. “That will always be baked in. That's part and parcel of politics.
“It was hard earlier this year when I was blocked in terms of standing for the Gorton and Denton by-election. I will always say what I thought about that, but then I carried on working and did events with Keir Starmer after that.”
He said: “Sometimes you're on the wrong side of that thinking and those moods, and I've had to do that in my political career, and we all have to do that at times.”
He also admitted that his wife was hesitant about his bid to become prime minister after he failed to become the Labour Party leader twice.
Mr Burnham said Marie-France van Heel “took some persuading” before the former Greater Manchester Mayor stood in the Makerfield by-election in hopes of leading the country.
He said:“She was like, ‘What? Not again. They told you twice they don't want you. Why are you doing it again?’”
“She's quite blunt in telling me about my failures in past endeavours, and she doesn't hold back, and there's no soft landing there,” the prime minister added.
Mr Burnham said: “We've always just had honest conversations about it. She knows why I'm in politics and what I'm trying to do. It is about changing the country to make it fairer. I know that sounds a bit corny to say, but it's exactly why I'm doing it, in the same way that I stood to be mayor of Greater Manchester.”
Asked whether he was prime minister now despite those failed leadership runs or because of them, he replied: “Probably because of them. I became a much better politician in the end for not getting the position at that time because I probably hadn't really thought things through enough.
“The Westminster world puts you on a certain track and makes you think a certain way, speak a certain way even.”
“It took me to lose in 2015 decide to come back home here and stand to be the first mayor of Greater Manchester, and then really challenge myself about when I'm thinking and speaking for myself without any party line, because I was quite clear when I left, I was going to do this myself, place first, not party first. Do what's right for here. It really strengthened me as a politician.”
‘How to Fail with Elizabeth Day’ is available wherever you get your podcasts from 8am on Wednesday
