Cruel villain or father dancer? Insiders reveal the real Andy Burnham

Burnham is unusual in politics because even colleagues angry at Sir Keir Starmer’s sacking say he is friendly and polite.

But does he have the experience and ability to raise the morale of the workers and solve the deep problems of the country?

An old friend said: “He’s a very nice guy, but I don’t know if he is – that’s the real question.”

Being Mr. Nice Guy is not enough to be an effective prime minister in a confusing and brutal political era.

But you can be cruel with a smile, and Andy Burnham is willing to follow the advice of one of the most effective leaders of recent decades – not one of the Prime Ministers, but Sir Alex Ferguson.

I’m told the former Manchester United boss dropped in on Burnham and wanted to talk politics.

He wanted to know why there was so much bad blood and a briefing between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, who, if it had been Blair, would have said: “He put him in the room, and you’re either with me, or you can be cooked.” The exact phrase he used was much worse than that – but you get the drift.

Burnham’s close partner said: “We might need Ferguson’s hair dryer – this is our time and if you’re not with me we have to say goodbye and thank you for your time.