<p>Burnham criticises ‘decades of neoliberalism’ and says he wants to give people ‘hope back’</p><p>When Andy Burnham first tried to return to the Commons, by applying to be Labour’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton byelection, Labour’s national executive committee blocked him – in part because, they argued, Labour might find it hard to hold the Greater Manchester mayoralty in the byelection caused by his resignation.</p><p>When he next applied to be a candidate, for Makerfield,