Andy Burnham mysteriously PULLS OUT of major speech billed as leadership challenge to Keir Starmer

Andy Burnham has mysteriously pulled out of a keynote speech he was meant to deliver on Friday morning.

The Greater Manchester Mayor - amid heightened rumours of a leadership challenge to the Prime Minister - had been set to address the second annual Festival of Childhood in Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum on Friday.

But at the last moment this evening, organisers said Mr Burnham was out - with no reason given as to why.

A spokesman for the children's commissioner's office confirmed that Mr Burnham would not be attending the event at all.

The last-ditch exit came just as reports emerged Ed Miliband had called on Sir Keir Starmer to set out a timeline for his departure amid concerns he will be forced out of Downing Street.

Sources close to the Energy Secretary told The Times he made the suggestion during a private meeting with Sir Keir about a fortnight ago.

There have been reports that MPs are moving to oust the Prime Minister in the wake of the elections in a bloodless coup modelled on the way Sir Tony Blair was encouraged to make way for his successor Gordon Brown.

And mere days ago, it was claimed Mr Burnham had hatched a plan to return to Westminster within weeks - and wants to challenge the Prime Minister directly.

The Mayor was reported to have cleared his first hurdle in his long-rumoured bid to topple Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader when the PM's allies on Labour's ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), no longer willing to stand in his way.

In order to stand as an MP, he must secure the NEC's permission to quit as Greater Manchester Mayor.

Then, he will have to find a seat - though Bootle MP Peter Dowd opened the door to offering his over the weekend.

Mr Burnham was earlier this year blocked by the NEC from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election after the previous MP Andrew Gwynne stood down.

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The NEC said worries about the costs of running a new Manchester mayoral election and fear that Reform could take the mayoralty were behind the decision to block Mr Burnham.

One person on the committee did, however, back him: Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell, who on Thursday night admitted the local elections had been tough for her party.

She did not give a single mention to the PM in her close-of-polls statement.

“Labour has run positive, local campaigns right across the country, focused on our record of delivery, bringing communities together and addressing the public’s number one priority: easing the cost of living," she said.

“The whole party and Government are so proud of our hardworking Labour candidates who serve their local communities and put themselves forward for election.

“These elections are tough and took place in a difficult context. After over a decade of Britain being held back, working people up and down the country rightly want to see the whole of our United Kingdom firing on all cylinders in their interests. Labour has started to deliver on that promise and we are determined to make it happen everywhere for everyone.

“Nigel Farage’s false promises and toxic politics won’t deliver the change people want to see. Zack Polanski has proved this week that he is unfit for office and has all the wrong answers to the problems our country faces.

“Labour will continue working every day putting our values into action and delivering the fairer future people want to see – by bearing down on the cost of living, fixing our NHS, taking on vested interests and rewiring the country to bring about a better Britain, built for all.”