ANDY Burnham is like a firework that briefly "lights up the sky" but then crashes back to earth, one of Sir Keir Starmer’s closest allies has blasted.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle swiped at the Manchester Mayor for trying to undermine the PM on the eve of Labour’s conference.

In a thinly-veiled leadership pitch, Mr Burnham has attacked the Government’s lack of direction and said MPs have urged him to challenge for the top job.

In a stinging rebuke, Mr Kyle told The Sun: “It’s a case study that sometimes fireworks can light up the night sky - but they also come back to earth with a solid thump.”

The Business Secretary also slapped down Mr Burnham’s demands for mass renationalisation of industries like water and energy.

He said: “What you will not see with me is an ideological approa

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