Hello and welcome to Coffee House Shots, The Spectator's Daily Politics Podcast.

I'm Isabel Hardman and this is the Sunday Roundup.

This week, Andy Burnham is blocked from standing as an MP.

Ed Davy says we're in another Cold War and a new centre-right

movement is launched. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham had announced he was seeking permission

to run as an MP for the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election. Kier-Starmes

allies feared a leadership challenge from Burnham if he did become an MP, although Burnham himself

stated he wanted to support the government, not undermine it. Burnham had to be granted permission

to stand as an MP by the officers of Labour's National Executive Committee, whose chair is Home Secretary

Shabana Mahmoud. On the BBC this morning, Mahmoud said Burnham had been an excellent member of Parliament

in the past. Well, look, Andy, Andy has been a parliamentarian before he was a member of Parliament and

he was an excellent member of Parliament. I really respect Andy Burnham. I have worked closely with him.

I've talked about policing with him on a regular basis. We work very closely together

after the Manchester terrorist attack that took place at Heaton Park Synagogue. So, you know, he's

an exceptional politician. He's a great member of the Labour team. You know, he's been a great

parliamentarian before. He's got to make a case. He's made that case for standing. Our rules

require sitting mayors and PCCs if they want to seek election for another political office to seek permission. That's what will be happening today.

Do you chair of that committee? Will you let him do it? Well, I'm an independent chair of that committee. I don't think it's appropriate for me to start commenting in a way that might be construed as trying to sway the way that the debate takes place.

I don't want to, I don't want other members of that officers group that's going to meet later today

to feel that I use my position as the NEC chair and speaking in the media this morning in a way to sway that.

I'm there to make sure that the debate takes place in the proper way.

But other people, including one of them who would sit on that committee, Lucy Powell,

...