Andy Burnham says Labour colleagues in London should 'leave him alone' after hinting at a lack of support for his projects in Greater Manchester. The mayor has spoken out in the week he announced a new Manchester Baccalaureate in an overhaul of education for the region's youngsters.
It's a move that comes as local leaders also prepare for the arrival of Bee Network publicly-controlled buses. In an interview with Times Radio, Mr Burnham said 'it would be nice to have some support' for his projects in Greater Manchester, which he insisted would be welcomed by both Labour and Conservative voters.
But the former Leigh MP suggested Labour in Westminster was briefing against him instead. He told Times Radio: “Whenever I go out there with something positive, the negative Westminster briefing machine somehow flicks into gear.
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“All that I’d say is, ‘leave me alone’. You know, I’ve been out there being supportive of the party and working for a majority Labour government, as everyone is.
"I’m building a really powerful positive agenda for Greater Manchester and to have the kind of old ways of Westminster trying to cut across that with their negative briefing [and] their insecurity, I honestly don’t know what purpose they think it serves." The mayor's comments have fuelled talk of tension between Mr Burnham and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
In his Times Radio interview, Mr Burnham hinted at the role of aides in Westminster for possibly briefing against him, describing them as 'unelected people... who think they know it all'. But following the mayor's comments, a senior Labour source told The Times that Burnham 'constantly undermining the national party' was 'really annoying'.
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