Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has declared that an Andy Burnham-led Labour government will be 'faster and bolder,' presumably meaning it will sprint past the same problems at a slightly quicker pace while being more emotionally open about it. Speaking after 322 Labour MPs nominated Burnham as their next leader - just one short of making it mathematically impossible for anyone else to challenge him - Nandy told BBC Radio 4 she doesn't believe a leadership contest is necessary and backed his plan to set up a 'No 10 north' in Manchester. Housing Secretary Steve Reed and Home Office Minister Mike Tapp have confirmed they'll back Burnham on Monday, so he's expected to reach the threshold to be announced as the new Labour leader next week. The former Greater Manchester mayor, who returned to Parliament in a by-election less than a month ago, is expected to be made prime minister by the King on 20 July.

Nandy, whose Wigan constituency sits next to Burnham's Makerfield seat, outlined two key differences under Burnham: 'The first is that it will be faster and bolder, and he's willing to think very differently about how we deliver that change. Number 10 in the North has attracted a lot of interest but that really is about shifting the centre of gravity in the country so that all parts of the country are seen and heard and are able to contribute. The second thing that will be different is we will wear our hearts on our sleeves more.' She admitted she hasn't been offered a job in the new administration, nor has anyone else in Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet. 'He has not offered any jobs to anybody and I firmly believe that's the right thing to do,' she said, which is either admirable restraint or a cunning plan to avoid awkward conversations.

Opposition parties, meanwhile, are demanding specifics. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch attacked Starmer for leaving a £5bn gap in defence spending and wrote in the Daily Telegraph that Burnham won't call a snap election because he'd lose - and that the Tories are preparing for government in 2029. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, dubbing Burnham 'Avanti Andy' after the rail franchise, warned him not to forget coastal and countryside towns. 'London and Manchester are brilliant cities... but Avanti Andy is heading for signal failure if he doesn't rapidly realise there is a Britain that lies beyond the tracks connecting Euston and Manchester Piccadilly,' he said. Green Party leader Zack Polanksi urged rent controls, citing research that a 2022 freeze could have saved the average renting household £2,400 a year. All of which suggests that while Burnham may be faster and bolder, he'll need to be a lot more specific if he wants to avoid derailing before he even leaves the station.