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Labour must do all it can to avoid a \u201cpsychodrama\u201d over Andy Burnham\u2019s possible return to parliament<\/a>, Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has said.<\/p>\n Mahmood is chair of Labour\u2019s national executive committee (NEC), which was due to meet later on Sunday to decide whether Burnham should be allowed to seek selection for the Gorton and Denton byelection, which would involve him giving up his Greater Manchester mayoralty.<\/p>\n Speaking to Sky News, Mahmood said her role as chair meant she could not comment on whether it was a good idea for Burnham to seek to return as an MP, widely seen as a route for him to challenge Keir Starmer as prime minister<\/a>.<\/p>\n But she said voters would not tolerate a long period of turmoil and internal struggle from the government, as happened under the Conservatives, who cycled through five prime ministers in six years.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone has to make their own decisions. What I would say is, I think everybody could do with less psychodrama,\u201d Mahmood said. \u201cAnd my clear message to all of my colleagues, whether they are in cabinet, or elsewhere in the country, is: we get to decide if we indulge in a psychodrama.<\/p>\n \u201cThe country was absolutely fed up to the back teeth of the Tories and all of their psychodramas, the constant arguing. So my clear message to all colleagues everywhere is, just calm down. We\u2019re in government. Labour governments don\u2019t come along that often in the history of our great country. We have the absolute privilege of being the government of our country. We should all pull together and make a success of it.\u201d<\/p>\n She praised Burnham, indicating she felt he could add to the party in parliament. \u201cHe\u2019s an exceptional politician, and of course I always think we should have all of our best players making their contribution to the Labour government,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n