{"id":40955,"date":"2026-05-19T19:42:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T19:42:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/40955\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T19:42:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T19:42:55","slug":"andy-burnham-the-british-state-has-a-dangerous-lack-of-accountability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/40955\/","title":{"rendered":"Andy Burnham: The British state has a dangerous lack of accountability"},"content":{"rendered":"

The British state continues to avoid accountability over major scandals<\/a> that cost lives, including the Hillsborough football disaster<\/a> and the infected blood \u201ccalamity\u201d that saw thousands contract fatal diseases, Andy Burnham<\/a> has said.<\/p>\n

The Greater Manchester Mayor<\/a> has pledged to introduce the so-called Hillsborough Law \u201cin its entirety\u201d if he became Prime Minister as he accused the Government of \u201cre-traumatising\u201d victims of the contaminated blood scandal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In an interview marking the second anniversary of the Infected Blood Inquiry<\/a> report, Burnham, who is seeking a return to Parliament via the Makerfield by-election<\/a>, gave his \u201cabsolute support\u201d to campaigners and criticised the Government for creating \u201cnew dividing lines\u201d between victims and bereaved families through compensation rules.<\/p>\n

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\"ThisCaption: This undated handout photo shows a house mouse on Marion Island, South Africa. Mice that were brought by mistake to a remote island near Antarctica 200 years ago are breeding out of control because of climate change, eating seabirds and causing major harm in a special nature reserve with ???unique biodiversity.??? Now conservationists are planning a mass extermination using helicopters and hundreds of tons of rodent poison. (Stefan and Janine Schoombie via AP)
Photographer: Stefan and Janine Schoombie
Provider: AP
Source: Stefan and Janine Schoombie<\/p>\n

SCIENCE<\/p>\n

Why city mice really are bolder than their country cousins<\/p>\n

Mice in urban areas are more aggressive than their counterparts in the countryside, scientists have discovered.<\/p>\n

The findings bear out Aesop\u2019s fable, in which a bold town mouse invites a bashful country cousin to stay.<\/p>\n

City mice will eat through wrappers<\/p>\n

\"aMice don\u2019t hibernate, and instead during winter head indoors for food and warmth<\/p>\n

Urban mice are far bolder than rural mice when it comes to finding food, US scientists have found.<\/p>\n

One rodent in the study, named Philomene, ate through cake, cheese, bags of plums and \u201cindividually wrapped chocolates\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Exclusive<\/p>\n

6 min read<\/p>\n

\nWhat else the study found\n<\/p>\n

\"OnOn any given night, a fox will encounter many cats, and the normal outcome is for the two animals to ignore each other (Photo: Matt Cardy\/Getty)<\/p>\n

More aggressive<\/p>\n

All animals living in urban areas are more active, more aggressive and tend to roam more widely than those in rural areas.<\/p>\n

130 species studied<\/p>\n

The research published in the Journal of Animal Ecology also looked at 130 species \u2013 including birds, reptiles, insects and mammals.<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM \u2013 APRIL 02: A pigeon feeds on nuts as it perches on a person\u2019s hand at St. James Park in London, United Kingdom on April 02, 2026. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim\/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Photographer: Anadolu
Provider: Anadolu via Getty Images
Source: Anadolu<\/p>\n

\"HedgehogCaption: Hedgehog crossing street in front of an oncoming car
Photographer: Leoba
Provider: Getty Images\/iStockphoto
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: Photo-SD<\/p>\n

Risk-positive<\/p>\n

\u201cCity animals seem to be more risk-positive \u2013 they\u2019re more bold,\u201d said Dr Tracy Burkhard, of Lewis & Clark College.<\/p>\n

TV NEWS<\/p>\n

What we know about Married at First Sight UK rape allegations<\/p>\n

\"\"Who would put themselves through marrying a stranger on national TV? (Photo: Channel 4)<\/p>\n

Channel 4 has removed all seasons of Married at First Sight UK from its platforms following \u201cvery serious allegations\u201d made against some former stars.<\/p>\n

Two women have alleged that they were raped during the filming of the show. A third has alleged a non-consensual sex act.<\/p>\n

The allegations<\/p>\n

One woman alleged in a BBC Panorama programme that her chosen husband raped her and threatened her with an acid attack.<\/p>\n

A second alleged that she was also raped by her husband. She also claims she told Channel 4 and independent producer CPL before broadcast, but the show still aired.<\/p>\n

A third woman alleged that her onscreen husband engaged in a non-consensual sex act.<\/p>\n

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MEDIA<\/p>\n

3 min read<\/p>\n

How has Channel 4 responded?<\/p>\n

Channel 4\u2019s removal of the show from its platforms follows an external review launched in April into the welfare of participants. The broadcaster was presented with serious allegations \u201cagainst a small number of past contributors, allegations that we understand those contributors have denied,\u201d it said in a statement. The channel said \u201cprompt and appropriate action was taken\u201d related to concerns over welfare protocols.<\/p>\n

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NEWS<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

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Analysis<\/p>\n

3 min read<\/p>\n

\nWhat do MPs say?\n<\/p>\n

\"CultureCulture Minister Caroline Dinenage\u2019s comments have sparked fury among the cruise industry (Photo: Getty) <\/p>\n

\u2018Deeply shocking\u2019<\/p>\n

Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport committee, said the allegations were \u201cdeeply shocking\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2018Horrifying\u2019<\/p>\n

The Conservative MP said the premise of the show, which sees single people \u201cmarry\u201d strangers who they meet on their mock wedding day, was \u201chorrifying\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe new series of Married at First Sight starts this week on Channel 4 (Photo: CPL Production and Channel 4\/ Indigo Wild Studio\/Simon Johns)<\/p>\n

\"DanSheffield City Region\u2019s Labour Mayor Dan Jarvis and local council leaders announced that the Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick had confirmed he would work with them to devolve powers from Westminster (Photo by Carl Court\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u2018Deeply concerning\u2019<\/p>\n

Labour security minister Dan Jarvis said the allegations were \u201cdeeply concerning\u201d.<\/p>\n

Will we see a heatwave this bank holiday weekend?<\/p>\n

Britons have been told to prepare for hot weather this bank holiday weekend, with some parts of the country set to see temperatures rise as high as 28\u00b0C.<\/p>\n

\"SOUTHEND,A couple pour a glass of wine on Jubilee beach, Southend in June. Yellow heat health alerts were issued by the Met Office (Photo: John Keeble\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\nWhich areas could get a heatwave?\n<\/p>\n

\"ACaption: A person walks along The Queen\u2019s Walk near Tower Bridge in London. Temperatures could reach 32C in parts of central and southern England on Friday and are expected to remain high into the weekend, with a yellow heat health alert in place for all regions in England until July 15. Picture date: Friday July 11, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok\/PA Wire
Photographer: Yui Mok
Provider: Yui Mok\/PA Wire
Source: PA<\/p>\n

28\u00b0C temperatures<\/p>\n

Temperatures could reach 28\u00b0C in the south-east of England on Friday, with conditions set to be mostly sunny and dry.<\/p>\n

Heatwave threshold<\/p>\n

Some places could see a heatwave on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A heatwave is three days in a row with temperatures at a regional threshold.<\/p>\n

\"Cheerful(Photo: Olga Pankova\/Getty).<\/p>\n

\"SpringCaption: Spring flowers bloom in St James\u2019s Park as temperatures in the capital are set to surge as high as 25 Degrees Celsius in London, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Photographer: Kirsty Wigglesworth
Provider: AP
Source: AP<\/p>\n

Most likely counties<\/p>\n

Herefordshire and Worcestershire appear most likely to hit the threshold, say forecasters.<\/p>\n

Bank holiday showers<\/p>\n

\"PeopleCaption: People walk through the rain on Southbank in London. Weather warnings have been issued as Storm Barbara is expected to bring gale force winds and heavy showers to southern parts of the UK. PA Photo. Picture date: Wednesday October 21, 2020. See PA story WEATHER Barbara. Photo credit should read: Kirsty O\u2019Connor\/PA Wire
Photographer: Kirsty O\u2019Connor
Provider: PA
Source: PA<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not all good news: forecasters have warned that some parts of the country could see rain because of the humidity.<\/p>\n

Some parts of Scotland, Wales and the west of England could see showers on Saturday. The south of England could get rain on Sunday.<\/p>\n

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OPINION<\/p>\n

5 min read<\/p>\n

What\u2019s causing warm spell?<\/p>\n

Meteorologists said a change in the wind direction was behind the spike in temperatures ahead.<\/p>\n

Wind had been blowing from the north during last week\u2019s cold snap. South-westerly winds from the Atlantic have dominated at the start of this week. And later in the week, the wind from the south will bring warmer weather.<\/p>\n

\"ACaption: A person struggles to hold onto their umbrella during strong wind in Birmingham. The Met Office has issued a \u201cdanger to life\u201d rain weather warning in parts of Wales and South West England amid Storm Bram. Picture date: Tuesday December 9, 2025. PA Photo. An amber rain weather warning has been issued in parts of South Wales and the South West of England as the Met Office warned that some homes and businesses are likely to be flooded and potentially damaged, while some communities could be cut off due to flooded roads. Photo credit should read: Jacob King\/PA Wire
Photographer: Jacob King
Provider: Jacob King\/PA Wire
Source: PA
Copyright: PA<\/p>\n

\"ACaption: A woman shades from the sun as she arrives at the Henley Royal Regatta, during warm weather, as temperatures continue to rise across Britain, in Henley-on-Thames, Britain, July 1, 2025. REUTERS\/Dylan Martinez
Photographer: Dylan Martinez
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS<\/p>\n

POLITICS<\/p>\n

Who are the Labour figures who want to replace Starmer?<\/p>\n

\"FILEsaid to be privately considering whether he will contest challenges to his leadership, despite having publicly insisted he will fight them.<\/p>\n

Labour appears to be heading towards a leadership contest, after disastrous local election results led to almost 100 Labour MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down. <\/p>\n

Wes Streeting has said he will stand in any contest. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has also made clear he wants to be prime minister \u2013 if he can win a crucial by-election.<\/p>\n

The frontrunners<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Andy Burnham carries hopes of many on the left, as polling shows he is the favourite with the public. He is hoping to win a seat through the Makerfield by-election.<\/p>\n

Wes Streeting is viewed by many as a \u201cBlairite\u201d representing the Labour right. He told Starmer he had \u201clost confidence\u201d in his leadership.<\/p>\n

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OPINION<\/p>\n

5 min read<\/p>\n

\nWho else might run?\n<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,Angela Rayner says the party needs to reconnect with younger voters (Photo: Carl Court\/Getty)<\/p>\n

Angela Rayner<\/p>\n

The former deputy Labour leader is thought to be supportive of Burnham \u2013 but may still decide to stand and appeal to the left.<\/p>\n

Ed Miliband<\/p>\n

The Energy Secretary is also keen on Burnham. But if his ally cannot take part in the contest, Miliband may decide to take on Streeting.<\/p>\n

\"EnergyCaption: Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband reacts to a heckler at the Fabian Society 2026 New Year Conference at the Guildhall, central London. Picture date: Saturday January 24, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning\/PA Wire
Photographer: James Manning
Provider: James Manning\/PA Wire
Source: PA<\/p>\n

\"ShabanaShabana Mahmood has embarked on a radical overhaul of the UK\u2019s immigration system (Photo: Kin Cheung\/AP)<\/p>\n

Other ministers<\/p>\n

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Armed Forces minister Al Carns may also decide to run.<\/p>\n

\nHow would a contest work?\n<\/p>\n

A Labour leadership contest would be triggered if one MP gets backing from 81 MPs. <\/p>\n

Other candidates can join if they have 81 backers.<\/p>\n

Keir Starmer can decide to contest the leadership election, and does not need 81 MPs to do so. But he could decide to stand down.<\/p>\n

Labour members and affiliated unions then vote by ranking candidates in order of preference. <\/p>\n

The National Executive Committee (NEC) decides on the timetable.<\/p>\n

More from The i Paper on Labour<\/p>\n

The average British retiree falls short of moderate lifestyle<\/p>\n

The typical pensioner in the UK does not have enough income to live comfortably, new research has found.<\/p>\n

\"The\u2018As a private renter now working part time, I am in a precarious situation and may have to rely on savings,\u2019 says a reader (Photo: Alex Tihonov\/Getty)<\/p>\n

\nWhat does average pensioner live on?\n<\/p>\n

\u00a326,200<\/p>\n

This is how much the average tax-paying pensioner between 65 and 69 lives on.<\/p>\n

This is according to an analysis of 2024 HMRC figures by AJ Bell.<\/p>\n

\u00a322,700<\/p>\n

This is how much the average tax-paying pensioner between 70 and 74 lives on.<\/p>\n

This is according to an analysis of 2024 HMRC figures by AJ Bell.<\/p>\n

\nWhat you need for moderate lifestyle\n<\/p>\n

An individual pensioner needs \u00a331,300 a year for a moderate standard of living, according to Retirement Living Standards research by Loughborough University.<\/p>\n

\"BankSome state pensioners will have their income protected from tax (Andrii Yalanskyi \/ 500px\/Getty)<\/p>\n

\"TheThe man is currently drawing a small defined benefit (DB) pension (Photo: SimpleImages\/Getty)<\/p>\n

A pensioner couple need \u00a343,100 a year to live to a moderate standard, the Retirement Living Standards\u00a0research discovered.<\/p>\n

\nThe good news and bad news\n<\/p>\n

Average pensioner incomes fall \u201cwell short\u201d of what the average Brit is hoping for, said Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell.<\/p>\n

Women are even more stretched than men in retirement. Women aged 65 to 69 received an average of \u00a323,000, while men received \u00a329,600.<\/p>\n

However, the standards are a \u201cfairly blunt instrument\u201d, said Coles, because they don\u2019t take into account the income you are used to while you\u2019re working.<\/p>\n

Watch more from The i Paper<\/p>\n

@theipaper<\/a> <\/p>\n

The Parliamentary Standards watchdog has launched a probe into the \u00a35m \u2018gift\u2019 from businessman Christopher Harborne to Nigel Farage in 2024. A Reform UK spokesman said: \u201cMr Farage\u2019s office is in communications with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. He has always been clear that this was a personal, unconditional gift and no rules were broken. We look forward to this being put to bed once and for all.\u201d nigelfarage reformuk ukpolitics<\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 The i Paper \u2013 The i Paper<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"London, London, UK \u2013 April 15 2025. General view of Broadcasting House, the BBC headquarters in central London, with people walking outside.
Photographer: VV Shots
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStock Editorial<\/p>\n

MEDIA NEWS<\/p>\n

The new BBC plan to axe channels and avoid scandal<\/p>\n

The corporation could close TV channels and move shows to YouTube as it tries to save \u00a3500m and cut up to 2,000 jobs. <\/p>\n

The new director-general, Matt Brittin, has warned staff in an email that \u201ctough choices are unavoidable\u201d.<\/p>\n

\nWhich channels could go?\n<\/p>\n

\"ForThe bew BBC director general, Matt Brittin, will formally begin his role on 18 May (Photo: BBC\/PA)<\/p>\n

Brittin decides<\/p>\n

Insiders predicted that the new director-general would look at the case for closing the BBC\u2019s entire channels.<\/p>\n

BBC Three in doubt?<\/p>\n

Roger Mosey, ex-head of BBC TV News, said BBC Two and BBC Four could merge, while BBC Three could be \u201cfinally laid to rest\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"ProgrammeCaption: Programme Name: Fleabag \u2013 TX: n\/a \u2013 Episode: n\/a (No. n\/a) \u2013 Picture Shows: Fleabag (PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE) \u2013 (C) Two Brothers Pictures Ltd. \u2013 Photographer: Screengrab
Photographer: Screengrab
Provider: BBC\/Two Brothers Pictures Ltd.<\/p>\n

\"TelevisionBenedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock in the 2010s BBC version (Photo: Robert Viglasky\/BBC\/Hartswood Films)<\/p>\n

Daytime shows<\/p>\n

Mosey also suggested that the BBC could drop \u201cfiller\u201d daytime programmes in favour of high-impact drama.<\/p>\n

How BBC will avoid scandals<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,Former BBC Director General Tim Davie arrives at Broadcasting House on November 11, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Brittin will protect \u201ceditorial excellence\u201d to avoid errors like Panorama\u2019s misleading editing of a Donald Trump speech.<\/p>\n

The scandal led to the resignation of Tim Davie, pictured above.<\/p>\n

Brittin will also appoint a deputy director-general with news experience to get ahead of future scandals.<\/p>\n

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Analysis<\/p>\n

3 min read<\/p>\n

\nA\u00a0reinvented\u00a0licence fee?\n<\/p>\n

The BBC is keen to extend the base of people required to pay the\u00a0licence fee \u2013 possibly including those who watch streaming platforms.<\/p>\n

Brittin has yet to publicly state his personal preference on how to reinvent the charge imposed on TV viewers.<\/p>\n

But the former Google boss has already met Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to push the case for reform.<\/p>\n

More from The i Paper on the BBC<\/p>\n

@theipaper<\/a> <\/p>\n

New BBC director general Matt Brittin has told BBC staff that \u201ctough choices are unavoidable\u201d on his first day in the job. The former Google Europe boss has taken on the role during a tumultous period at the broadcaster, despite having no previous TV production or planning experience. This is everything he has to do deal with from the outset. #UK<\/a> #news<\/a><\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 The i Paper \u2013 The i Paper<\/a> <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"\"\/<\/p>\n

It comes as bereaved parents accused the Government of a cruel \u201ccost-cutting exercise\u201d after new compensation rules excluded the vast majority of parents who lost children to the infected blood scandal.<\/p>\n

As survivors of the worst treatment disaster in NHS history<\/a> gathered at St Paul\u2019s Cathedral on Tuesday for the first national memorial service, Burnham said he would \u201cbe with them every step of the way\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2018A catalogue of failures\u2019<\/p>\n

The Infected Blood Inquiry found that the scandal<\/a> \u2013 in which more than 30,000 people were infected with diseases including HIV and hepatitis C through NHS-supplied blood and blood products \u2013 was \u201clargely avoidable\u201d.<\/p>\n

The final report<\/a>, published in May 2024, described the scandal as a \u201ccalamity\u201d caused by a \u201ccatalogue of failures\u201d across governments, the NHS and the medical profession. More than 3,000 people have died, yet no individual has been held accountable.<\/p>\n

Burnham has drawn parallels between infected blood, the Hillsborough stadium disaster in which 97 people died in 1989 and the Grenfell tower block fire<\/a> which cost 72 lives in 2017, warning that the British state repeatedly fails to deliver accountability after major injustices.<\/p>\n

Speaking to The i Paper, Burnham said: \u201cThis is sadly the bit \u2013 the accountability bit \u2013 that the British state still can\u2019t do. Obviously, that was the case with Hillsborough. Ninety-seven people unlawfully killed, with one minor conviction against an individual and nothing else. <\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, in the case of infected blood and the lies told. Terrible injustice in terms of the pervasive nature of the cover-up, and yet, again seemingly there is no culpability. What is it about the British state that it won\u2019t hold people to account?\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cYou can\u2019t have faith in politics and government unless there\u2019s real accountability, and the lack of it is dangerous. For the way the country is run and the way people feel about things. Yeah, we all want to feel good about the country \u2013 patriotic \u2013 and yet it lets people down and it\u2019s not healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Duty of candour<\/p>\n

Burnham has long backed the introduction of a Hillsborough Law, which would place a legal duty of candour on public authorities and officials, requiring them to tell the truth and co-operate fully with investigations and inquiries.<\/p>\n

He became closely associated with the Hillsborough families during his time as culture secretary and later as health secretary and has argued that the law could have prevented cover-ups in scandals including contaminated blood and Grenfell.<\/p>\n

Despite repeated promises from successive governments, the legislation has yet to be implemented amid disputes over its scope and resistance within Whitehall over the extent of the legal obligations it would place on public bodies and officials, including the security services.<\/p>\n

Burnham said: \u201cI\u2019m committed to the Hillsborough Law in its entirety. We call it Hillsborough Law, but it could be the Infected Blood Law because I left the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in 2008 and went to the Department of Health, and it was that drawing of parallels, that\u2019s how I first started to join the dots on infected blood.<\/p>\n

\"SoccerLiverpool fans display a banner in memory of the victims of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster before a match last year (Photo: David Klein\/Reuters)<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd in many ways the duty of candour in this instance would have just changed everything, wouldn\u2019t it? If I wasn\u2019t told the truth when I was health secretary, what chance did the families have?\u201d<\/p>\n

Burnham also criticised the timing of Rishi Sunak\u2019s decision to call the 2024 general election just days after publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry report.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThe calling of the general election straight after the inquiry left a bad taste in my mouth,\u201d he said. \u201cThe enormity of what had been revealed \u2013 we needed days to absorb it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Divide and rule\u2019 compensation tactics<\/p>\n

Burnham, who served as health secretary between 2009 and 2010, has long campaigned on behalf of contaminated blood victims. In his final speech to Parliament in 2017, he described the scandal as a \u201ccriminal cover-up on an industrial scale\u201d, arguing that patients and families had been repeatedly denied the truth over decades.<\/p>\n

Describing infected blood as a \u201ccolossal injustice\u201d, Burnham said the scale of the disaster had still not fully registered nationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe number of lives blighted by infected blood is colossal,\u201d he said. \u201cIt still feels that people don\u2019t truly get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burnham also attacked what he described as \u201cdivide and rule\u201d tactics in the compensation arrangements for victims and their families. The controversy centres on the Government\u2019s decision to introduce a 50 per cent uplift to compensation awards for bereaved parents whose children died under the age of 18, but not for parents whose children were adults when they died.<\/p>\n

According to data compiled by the Tainted Blood Bereaved Parents Support Group, around 89 per cent of affected families fall into the excluded category. In a letter delivered to Downing Street on Monday, campaigners warned that the rules effectively \u201cdevalue\u201d the lives of victims based on an arbitrary age threshold.<\/p>\n

\"FromMike Blake, Rosemary Calder, Diana Blake and Gwynneth Walker \u2013 who lost loved ones to the infected blood scandal \u2013 delivered a letter to the Prime Minister on Monday saying that government rules effectively \u2018devalue\u2019 the lives of victims based on an arbitrary age threshold<\/p>\n

Rosemary Calder, writing on behalf of the group, said: \u201cOur children are always our children, always loved unconditionally in the same way, no matter what their age.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also described her own family\u2019s agony over her late son, Nicky, who would have celebrated his 52nd birthday last week. Instead, for the past 27 years, his family has spent his birthday visiting his grave. Nicky, who contracted HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood products, died in 1999, aged 25.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the compensation arrangements, Burnham said: \u201cThis is where these things go wrong, isn\u2019t it? The divide and rule sort of tactics\u2026 it doesn\u2019t feel fair, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018The fight needs to be forever\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that new injustices have crept in over the last two years, and the fight needs to be for ever,\u201d Burnham added. \u201cThey [the Government] should just be making full amends to everybody, not drawing new dividing lines between people, between parents whose children died under 18 and those over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among those attending Tuesday\u2019s service of recognition, remembrance and reflection for the contaminated blood victims, were the Prime Minister and members of the Royal Family. Burnham, however, said he was \u201cgutted\u201d not to attend himself.<\/p>\n

His campaigning in the Makerfield by-election<\/a> is backed by figures connected to some of Britain\u2019s most high-profile justice campaigns. He is widely expected to launch a challenge against Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership if he wins the by-election.<\/p>\n

Families of Hillsborough victims are expected to campaign on his behalf in Makerfield, underlining his long association with the fight for accountability.<\/p>\n

\u2018There will be a lot of rough and tumble\u2019<\/p>\n

Burnham used the by-election campaign to set out a broader political vision centred on \u201cManchesterism\u201d<\/a> \u2013 a pitch for more radical devolution and a shift away from what allies describe as Westminster\u2019s overly centralised approach.<\/p>\n

He admitted the prospect of returning to frontline national politics had left him feeling \u201ca bit exposed\u201d but suggested he had decided the time had come to act.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel a bit out there, feel a bit exposed, but in life you\u2019ve got to just go for things,\u201d he said. \u201cI was at the [Everton] match with my brothers yesterday, and I was just saying to them, I don\u2019t think I want to live forever where people say you should do this, you should be doing that. At the end of the day, you either do it or you don\u2019t. You either sort of take a moment or you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he had received encouragement from football supporters during his visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium \u2013 contrasting the public reaction with the mood in Westminster.<\/p>\n

Even Burnham\u2019s allies admit that standing in Makerfield is a gamble as the seat is one of Reform UK\u2019s target seats<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was at Everton yesterday and there were so many people coming up to me and saying, \u2018Oh my god you\u2019ve got to do this\u2019,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was kind of nice. It\u2019s one thing the Westminster lot and what they say \u2013 there\u2019s a different focus group when you get out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burnham acknowledged the scrutiny and criticism that would come with a campaign but insisted he was prepared for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019ll be a lot of rough and tumble, but I mean, [I\u2019ll] just try and ignore it all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThe fight is for ever. There\u2019s no justice until everyone\u2019s got justice. My support for them [scandal victims and their families] will be absolute, whichever position I\u2019m in.\u201d<\/p>\n

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