Hello, hello, I'm Hugo Rifkin, and now we're going to be unpacking the politics of the day.

Will blocking Andy Burnham solve Kirstarmer's problems, how can the Tory seize the centre ground,

and the real reason Kemi Badenock joined the Tory party, which may not be what you think.

And joining me to unpack all of that, I've got The Times as Seb Payne. Hello, Seb. Good morning, Hugo. How are you? I'm very well, thank you. Not sad not to be in the studio with you, but just as blessed as always to be it to be with you. Don't spoil it. The listeners don't need to know that. I could say you're here and wearing and dressed like a panda. No one's going to know. And also Charlotte Ivers, who is here and dressed like a panda.

Hello, Hugo. I just Charlotte Ivers, who is here and dressed like a panda.

Hello, Hugo. I just realized I hadn't actually put my headphones on so I couldn't hear Seth. I'm kind of assuming that he would be here with us. And it was quite peaceful. I thought, oh, this is just me getting to speak. Just the spirit of him, drifting through the studio like a ghost. We've got a lot of politics to cover today.

Let's crack on.

The Prime Minister is facing a backlash from some Labour MPs after the point. drifting through the studio like a ghost. We've got a lot of politics to cover today.

Let's crack on.

The Prime Minister is facing a backlash from some Labour MP after the party blocked the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham's attempt to become an MP.

Burnham had hoped to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

Labour's National Executive Committee isn't having it.

The decision has certainly worsened Labour infighting, yet the Scotland

Secretary, Douglas Alexander, told Times Radio that the intention was to prevent more political

psychodrama. Yesterday, the officers of the National Executive Committee had to weigh quite a difficult

set of judgments, looking at the Labour Party rules, where there's a presumption against sitting

mayor standing in a parliamentary by-election, whether it was right to cause what would be

an otherwise unnecessary mayoral contest equivalent to 20 parliamentary by-elections or more

in Manchester, and the risk that that contest would absorb time, energy and money.

My sense is the Prime Minister may speak on this himself

today, but the judgment was more about focus than factionalism. Charlotte, do you think Stama

is permanently damaged by this? Yes, probably. I think he's probably done the right thing

...