Burnham cries for help

At last! There’s a bit of British spunk about the Labour leadership contest. Andy Burnham has accused his rivals of smearing him. The finger of suspicion points at Ed Balls – given past form and his natural proclivities. Burnham and Balls are fighting for a similar constituency – both are running broadly ‘traditional’ tickets. Both are struggling. Balls has 5 Constituency Labour Party nominations to Burnham’s 8: the Milibands have 80 between them.

Balls’ team, staffed by the saintly Tom Watson and Charlie Whelan, probably is briefing against Burnham; and it was probably Balls who introduced the rumour that the Milibands were smearing one another. But equally, Burnham could be fishing for sympathy in an attempt to mobilise the devout anti-Balls vote. (I’m convinced that there is more to Burnham than Liverpool, his lachrymose eyes and an unhealthy obsession with Nye Bevan.) Either way, the contest has found some much needed fire; well, a flame at any rate.