Andy Burnham has revealed his wife\u2019s dismayed reaction when he told her he wanted to make another attempt at becoming Labour leader.<\/p>\n
Burnham said that his wife, Marie-France van Heel, had been surprised by his decision to run, having lost contests in 2010 and 2015 to Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn respectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was like: \u2018Not again; they\u2019ve told you twice they don\u2019t want you,\u2019\u201d Burnham told Elizabeth Day on the How to Fail podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe took some persuading to be honest, because I guess she didn\u2019t want to see me go through it all again and then end up the wrong side at the end of it, but she gives me good advice,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Burnham recalled being an MP in his early 30s and thinking he had done well in interviews, only to find a text message from his wife that said, in capital letters: \u201cANSWER THE F***ING QUESTION.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the kind of feedback I\u2019ve had from her,\u201d Burnham said. \u201cShe\u2019s quite forthright, she\u2019s Dutch and they don\u2019t hold back, they\u2019re pretty plain speaking and I\u2019ve been on the receiving end of a lot of that over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burnham said his failed leadership bids made him \u201ca much better politician\u201d in the end and that losing in 2015, standing to be the mayor of Greater Manchester and challenging himself \u201creally strengthened\u201d him.<\/p>\n