Times Radio

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"We do need to reunite the the progressive left, and Jeremy is part of that." Labour MP John McDonnell says he told Keir Starmer to reinstate Jeremy Corbyn as a member to fend off Reform UK.

What would Andy Burnham be like as prime minister? The Times’s northern editor David Collins explains what he’s been like as mayor of Greater Manchester.

President of the National Federation of Fish Friers, Andrew Cook, says chippies should explore "different species" as the price of a portion of fish and chips has risen by nearly 10 percent in the past year.

There is an “exodus” of foreign-born billionaires from the UK, says the compiler of The Sunday Times rich list Robert Watts. You can read The Sunday Times rich list on thetimes.com this weekend.

“I cannot tell you how unhappy the parliamentary Labour Party is.” Even though the leadership contest hasn’t been formally triggered, it “definitely isn’t business as usual”, says The Times’s Steven Swinford.

Reform had a huge victory in Makerfield in the recent local elections, but Andy Burnham is seen in the constituency “as a separate brand from Labour” which helps voters connect with him more, says Times Radio’s Darryl Morris.

Vote Burnham, get Starmer out? Housing Secretary Steve Reed MP says he would be “very happy” if Andy Burnham was selected as the Labour candidate in the Makerfield by-election, but urges colleagues to “take a breath” as there is no leadership challenger with 81 nominations. @rosiewright99 | @CalumAM

The prime minister’s team sees every day Starmer staves off a leadership contest as “a win,” @ProducerOllie reports from Downing Street.

"Andy Burnham is taking a massive gamble." Labour’s leadership turmoil has left Wes Streeting weakened, Andy Burnham taking a “massive gamble”, and Keir Starmer facing a challenge that may drag on for months, says The Times’s chief political correspondent @BreeAllegretti.

"Using voters to support politicians rather than the other way around, which I think turns a lot of people off." Andy Burnham should be careful not to take voters granted or it could backfire, The Times's columnist Fraser Nelson.

“I don’t have anything intelligent to say about Al Carns.” The Times columnist @CitySamuel dismisses the sudden excitement around Al Carns, questioning where the enthusiasm has come from and suggesting he is not viewed as a serious contender inside Labour circles.

“It’s a very high-stakes move” Times Radio's newsroom reporter @ProducerOllie breaks down the implications of Makerfield MP Josh Simons resigning to make way for Andy Burnham’s leadership challenge.

Jane and Fi are utterly perplexed at the sheer number of texts they've received from listeners lusting over Al Carns. "I don't know if it's some concerted, orchestrated effort but we can't stop talking about Al Carns."

Wes Streeting’s team confirmed with Anna Mikhailova that he wants Andy Burnham to be part of any Labour potential leadership contest.

“By the time we’re at the end of what I hope will be at least two terms of a Keir Starmer government, there’ll be loads of whippersnappers coming up saying…push off, it’s our turn.” That’s what Wes Streeting told #TimesRadio in 2023 when asked about his leadership ambitions.

Keir Starmer needs to “stem the bleed” and move forward, says Anna Mikhailova, as the current impasse is "harming" the Labour Party the longer it goes on.

Fi Glover reads Wes Streeting’s horoscope today, courtesy of Mystic Meg with Maggie Innes. “You’re holding back key words – and you may have done this for so long you’ve forgotten why.”

“I don’t think Keir can carry on because we are in chaos already.” Could Angela Rayner's intervention persuade Keir Starmer to have a 'sensible conversation about a transition'? 🗳️ How To Win An Election 🎧 pod.fo/e/41592b

"It's almost impossible for them to be doing worse' Danny Finkelstein says Ed Miliband is the "strongest figure on the soft left", and if Labour could repeat his result from the 2015 election it would be a "triumph". 🗳️ How To Win An Election 🎧 pod.fo/e/41592b