Andy Burnham blasts Keir Starmer's leadership at Labour conference in Liverpool

Andy Burnham tonight insisted he would not 'shy away' as he launched a fresh attack on Sir Keir Starmer's leadership during the first day of Labour's conference in Liverpool. The Greater Manchester mayor, who has claimed that Labour MPs are privately urging him to challenge the Prime Minister, did nothing to quell speculation about his own ambitions. In a fiery speech at a rally on Sunday, Burnham accused Sir Keir of stifling debate within Labour's ranks and creating 'a climate of fear' within the party. He acknowledged facing a furious backlash in recent days for using a series of media interviews to criticise Sir Keir's leadership, but argued that demanding 'simplistic statements of loyalty' risked 'underestimating the peril' Labour is currently facing.