Burnham haunted by past as Labour focus group blames media for Starmer’s woes

Andy Burnham’s re-election campaign is being dogged by his own political history, with opponents unearthing past comments on WASPI women and his earlier calls for an early election, according to the latest Politics at Sam and Anne’s podcast. The revelation comes as Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy, the hosts, also disclosed that a focus group of Labour members blamed the media for Keir Starmer’s troubles. The duo painted a picture of “continued paralysis at the heart of government,” which they said was delaying both a reset in relations with the European Union and the much-delayed Defence Investment Plan. The attacks on Burnham, combined with the internal finger-pointing, underscore a party struggling to find its footing. Meanwhile, the Makerfield by-election looms, with candidates listed on the Sky News website.