Andy Burnham should 'shut up', says senior Scottish Labour figure

Michael Marra said Mr Burnham’s leadership ambitions were “a distraction” in a fringe meeting at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.

Labour MP Mel Ward also suggested that Mr Burnham was “a mediocre man”.

Greater Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham has recently given interviews laying out what he would do differently to Sir Keir Starmer and has not ruled out trying to replace him.

When asked if Mr Burnham would make a better leader than Sir Keir, Scottish Labour finance spokesperson Mr Marra said: “Frankly it is a distraction.

“Anybody frankly who is concerning themselves with this kind of stuff at the moment is neglecting the job that we’ve got in front of us.”

The North East Scotland list MSP added: "I think he should shut up.”

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP Mel Ward also had a dig at Mr Burnham: “One of the things that myself and other women who are involved in politics say to each other is that we wish that all women in politics had the confidence of mediocre men...

“Andy Burnham’s doing a great job as Mayor of Greater Manchester.”

Labour MP for the Western Isles Torcuil Crichton also asked “who is going to tell Andy Burnham” that “the next seven months are about who runs Scotland, not who runs the UK.”

Much of the build up to the conference has been about the tension between Mr Burnham and Sir Keir.

Mr Burnham has stood twice for the Labour leadership in the past and lost.

He recently said MPs have asked him to return to Westminster. He was previously an MP for over a decade and served as Health Secretary under Gordon Brown.