Labour former deputy leader Angela Rayner has condemned the decision to stop Andy Burnham returning to Westminster as an MP - and laid the blame on Keir Starmer. She made the brutal statement as Sir Keir battles to stay in Number 10 following last week's local election defeats. She said: "This has not been an easy moment. Our party has suffered historic defeats. Many good Labour colleagues have lost their seats ... it’s clear that what we’re doing isn’t working and it needs to change."

Ms Rayner said in a speech to the CWU union: "People feel hopeless that the cost of living crisis will never end." And she said: "Let me be honest. We as a party have to do better than this. And we can only prove we mean our Labour values by putting the common interest ahead of factionalism. And we can start by accepting that Andy Burnham should never have been blocked. It was a mistake that the leadership of our party should put right."

Mr Burnham was blocked by Labour's National Executive Committee from standing as the party's candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election. The reason given was that it would have required an expensive election to choose a new mayor of Greater Manchester, the role Mr Burnham currently holds. But it was widely reported that Sir Keir asked the committee to block Mr Burnham's candidacy, because Mr Burnham is a potential replacement as Labour leader.

Earlier, Sir Keir said the decision to let Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham stand to become an MP is one for Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

Asked whether he would “back continuing to block Andy Burnham from trying to return to Parliament”, Sir Keir replied: “Obviously, any future decision is for the NEC.

“Andy’s doing a great job as mayor in Manchester.

“And I actually work really well with Andy and I’ll give you two examples – on Northern Powerhouse Rail, which is really important for the North West. We are working together on that project.

“But equally, we stood together to support Manchester and the community when we had the terrible attack on a synagogue last year, and he was the first person I phoned, and I went straight to Manchester to work with him on our response.

“So, we work very well together, but the actual decision would be one for the NEC.”

Sir Keir Starmer said he has proved his doubters wrong before and he “can prove them wrong again”.

During his speech in London on Monday, the Prime Minister said: “I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I’ve got some doubters, including in my own party.

“I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I have to prove them wrong, and I will.

“I had my doubters when I took on the Labour Party. I had my doubters, who said we couldn’t change this party and make it capable of winning an election, and I proved them wrong.

“And when we did that, I had my doubters who said, ‘You can’t lead us to a general election victory after the loss in 2019, it was so bad, it’s not possible,’ and I proved them wrong.

“I can prove them wrong again.”