'Inside Andy Burnham's Labour leader coronation as party legends celebrate fresh start'

The same old, worn-out joke often circulates around Westminster at Andy Burnham’s expense. It goes something along the lines of: “A Blairite, a Brownite, and a Corbynite walk into a bar. The barman asks: ‘What are you having, Andy?”. Today, Burnham got the last laugh as he turned the joke on its head, saying: "In future, when a Burnhamite walks into a bar... I want the barman to say: 'Great to see you - we don’t like factional politics in here'.” It was his attempt to signal to Labour his dislike of those who put internal politics before the country - but crucially that he will seek to represent all wings of the party as Keir Starmer's successor. The message came as he was crowned Labour leader at an event in the basement of Congress House - the headquarters of the Trades Union Congress - surrounded by the great and good of the party. They included Labour legend Neil Kinnock, who was beaming on the front row almost 43 years after his own victory in the party's leadership contest, and fellow grandees Lord David Blunkett and Dame Margaret Beckett. Lord Kinnock told me after the event: “I am quite excited - my spirits are lifted.” Others in the audience were the party's Scottish leader Anas Sarwar - one of the first to call for Starmer to resign - who will now be able to repair his own relations with Downing Street under the new regime. Unlike previous Labour special conferences, there was no nail-biting wait for the results of the contest, no tension in the air. It was already a foregone conclusion that it would be third time lucky for Burnham - who ran unopposed. Instead, the party faithful were gathered to celebrate the coronation of their next leader and soon-to-be Britain's next Prime Minister. After a bruising first two years in government there was a sense of excitement in the air for a fresh start as Burnham promised them his leadership would be "unashamedly Labour". The speech was littered with praise for those who made it possible for him to reach this moment - a moment he has clearly craved for so long - and there was a vision to bring hope back to the country. But it was light on specifics. He gave no details of who would be in the great offices of state as speculation swirls around Westminster over who will be his second-in-command and who will occupy the role of Chancellor. But many voters will be more eager to hear details on a key part of his speech where he promised to make life "more affordable" as the cost of living crisis continues to bite. Perhaps they won't have to wait too long. The Labour Party's transfer of power is now complete and in as little as 72 hours the transfer of power at Downing Street will be complete.