𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Apparently, he’s not going to hang around when he gets there. He’s plotting to launch his coup against Sir Keir Starmer within hours. Starmer has pledged to fight back, which means we’re in for three months of in-party electioneering, as the country is forgotten. Which will basically involve Burnham, Wes Streeting and any other candidates promising Labour activists they’ll tax, borrow and spend to the max once in Number 10.

Burnham has already made a string of daft promises he can’t possibly keep in power. He’s got five U-turns to his name already. Six including his one latest one on the triple lock. But behind his cheery northern-bloke-next-door demeanour, apparently he’s getting nervous. Or as one Labour MP crudely put it: “He’s s—-ing himself .” Suddenly, power is starting to look real. And now is a terrible time to become PM. Particularly if you’re left-wing. Because thanks to years of financial mismanagement, culminating in the disaster that is Chancellor Rachel Reeves, he won’t be able to meet any of those promises he keeps making.

Burnham wants public ownership of essential services such as energy, rail and water, beginning with Thames Water. He also wants to overhaul social care, and there’s talk of paying a universal income to vulnerable people, and more benefits generally. Plus there’s the whole issue of defence. And if he’s mad enough to make Ed Miliband chancellor, he’ll spaff tens of billions more. Basically, he’s going to need an awful lot of money, and that brings me to a hellishly big problem that he’s still in denial about. There isn’t any.

Judging by his recent comments about the bond markets, Burnham doesn’t understand how finance works. So he may be surprised to discover that Reeves is on course to borrow £140billion this year. He may also be confused to learn that we spend £111billion a year purely on servicing the interest on debts we’ve already run up. If someone sits him down and explains, he might gulp with surprise. Then horror.

All those lovely things he banked on to secure his popularity just won’t be affordable. And he won’t be able to borrow a penny more either. Bond investors already charge the UK a fat premium to lend us money, because they don’t trust us. And they definitely don’t trust Andy Burnham. If he tries to borrow more, it’ll trigger a gilts crisis.

Which only leaves one option. More tax. But the country can’t take more tax. All that will do is crush growth, as Rachel Reeves has spent two years demonstrating. The Labour left waffle on about a wealth tax, but we don’t have enough billionaires to make a difference. Just 157 in total, and many are heading for the exits. Lefties seem to think Silicon Valley is in Berkshire, and Elon Musk answers to HMRC. Someone should tell them.

The only thing Burnham can do to retain his popularity is to spend, and he hasn’t got a penny to do that. Within weeks, the party will be as angry with him as they are with Keir Starmer. The country will be angrier. At least we voted for Keir Starmer. Burnham has no democratic mandate to be PM.

Burnham might soon find himself longing for Manchester again. He was King there. Now he’s descending into fiscal hell. No wonder he’s getting nervous. Only Nigel Farage’s Reform UK can save him. It’ll spare him an awful lot of misery by winning in Makerfield.