𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Let me take you back to the September 22, 2013. It was a sunny morning in Brighton, the first day of that year’s Labour party conference. I was in the team of political journalists taking on Labour MPs in the annual “friendly” match.

The opposing team featured frontbenchers Ed Balls, Jim Murphy, Sadiq Khan and a certain Andy Burnham. Midway through the first half, while attempting a feeble tackle, I accidentally kicked the future “King of the North” on the leg. On a violence scale, it was somewhere between zero and one. More of a tickle than a full-blooded Roy Keane assault.

Andy didn’t see it that way, angrily remonstrating with me. I protested my innocence and apologised but the then Shadow Health Secretary was having none of it. He was rattled and wouldn’t let it lie as the game went on.

Even after the final whistle, as handshakes and a bit of banter – we won 4-0 – were exchanged between players, Burnham was still prickly with me. Later that day, by chance, I bumped into my football nemesis on Brighton seafront.

He was a changed man, smiling and giving me a half man hug before apologising as we continued to chat. Fair play to him. Fast forward 13 years and the Burnham tetchiness has been on full display again.

As the media circus descended upon the Greater Manchester constituency of Makerfield this week the wannabe Prime Minister had a couple of run-ins with journalists, including our very own Aaron Newbury. It’s unlikely to be the last time as the pressure-cooker atmosphere of what could be the most important by-election in history intensifies.

Parliament is in recess again, which isn’t a bad thing considering the scorching weather and the fact that the Daily Express office in the Houses of Parliament will be around 120 degrees Fahrenheit as a result. What it does mean, though, is that the focus of our attention will be in Makerfield where Mr Burnham is battling it out with Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon.

As always, we will bring you all the best daily coverage.