Andy Burnham has kicked off his campaign to be the next prime minister the old-fashioned way: by having a sit-down with the people who help fund his party. The meeting, held at Unison's headquarters, brought together leaders from 11 trade unions affiliated with Labour.

In his first speech since launching his bid to replace Sir Keir Starmer, Burnham floated the radical idea that local communities should have "greater public control of essential services." The GMB union took the hint and raised specifics: water ownership, buying British, school support staff, and equal pay.

To get on the leadership ballot, Burnham needs either 20% of Labour MPs, 5% of constituency Labour Parties, or at least three affiliates - with at least two being unions. So far, he's the only candidate, meaning he could be PM by July 20 if nobody else steps up.

The elephant in the room? Ed Miliband as chancellor. Sharon Graham of Unite called that prospect a "noose around the neck of job creation," while GMB's Gary Smith branded the government's net-zero policies on North Sea oil and gas "shameful" and "economic madness." Unison's Andrea Egan, however, is on Team Miliband.

Another name floating around for chancellor is Wes Streeting, whose resignation as health secretary helped sink Starmer. No promises have been made, but the 'Stop Ed' campaign is hoping Burnham can be persuaded to avoid early rows over oil and gas.