Steerpike

If you thought Corbynmania was limited to female obsession and male politicians growing their facial hair, it's time to think again. It turns out that Jeremy Corbyn is also inspiring poets everywhere. Steerpike has been sent a copy of a new collection of poems edited by Russell Bennetts, which includes poems by 22 authors who have been inspired by the man of the moment. Among the array of rhymes (and half-rhymes) on offer are poems titled 'The seven ages of a Labour MP', 'unelectable' and 'Wongawongaland'.  Nicholas Murray's 'J.C.

Oh dear. Andy Burnham's efforts of late to appeal to Jeremy Corbyn's left-wing voters may have gone to waste after an email blip this morning. Steerpike understands that he has risked the wrath of one of the unions after an official looking email was circulated to members of Unite, the trade union, urging them to vote for Burnham. With Unite backing Corbyn, members were surprised to receive the email, from Joyce Still and Steve Hibbert of the union’s executive council, asking them to support Burnham in the leadership race: https://twitter.com/Disabled_Carer/status/634271590520332289 https://twitter.com/unitetheunion/status/634307384710668288 Unite has been quick to distance itself from both the emails and Burnham.

Jeremy Corbyn has been having a difficult time of late. The Labour leadership favourite has become increasingly tetchy with the media after facing questions about his links to a Holocaust denier, as well as being the subject of criticism from a host of former Labour bigwigs. However, there is one man who he can rely on to fight his corner; step forward Russell Brand. Although Ed Miliband had to pay a late night visit to the comedian-turned-revolutionary's £2 million apartment in order to win his endorsement during the general election, Brand has come out for Corbyn all on his own accord.

In an interview with Labour Uncut, Andy Burnham admitted a dark secret: that throughout the 90s he lived in fear that his early-career journalism gigs -- from his time working for B2B magazines -- would wind their way onto Have I Got News for You. He recently repeated his reason for not going on the programme in an interview with GQ: 'Have I Got News for You bid for me almost ten times a year and the reason they do it, I am certain, is they have some of my old articles - so I refuse it every time.' While Mr S can't vouch for the Beeb, Steerpike has at least managed to track down a copy of one of Burnham's early journalism efforts; Passenger Rail Management: Vol. 1, Issue 1, from May/June 1993.

With the registration period now closed, Labour members are sitting tight, waiting for their ballot papers to arrive. A period of quiet, sober reflection now begins, as members decide who they want to see face off the Tories. But not everyone is seeing it that way. The Scottish Labour Young Socialists - who say they are 'fighting for a new, subversive politics' - are holding an event in honour of comrade Corbyn. https://twitter.com/SLYSocialists/status/631554048479461376 Forget champagne socialism; for young Corbynites, the tipple of choice is a cocktail. Marxtini anyone?

It's safe to say that today has not been a great day for the Corbyn campaign. After Yvette Cooper gave a speech claiming her Labour leadership rival's policies are neither original nor credible, Corbyn's good friend Paul Flynn has come out against him. Despite being tipped for a plum role in Corbyn's shadow cabinet should he be elected, Flynn -- who endorsed Liz Kendall before he knew Corbyn was entering the race -- says that he cannot support his like-minded colleague's leadership bid: 'My caller today asked why I have not declared support for Jeremy Corbyn. He is my closest friend among the candidates. I have spoken on more public platforms with him in recent years than any other MP.

It seems that Karen Danczuk's glittering post-politics career isn't going quite to plan. The estranged wife of Labour MP Simon Danczuk -- who used to work for her husband as a secretary before they split -- is currently looking for a job. Alas, the former Labour councillor seems to be discovering that experience in the bubble doesn't necessarily count for much outside of Westminster: 'I have over 10 years experience in the world of politics, I am a former Cllr and have had the privilege of also working for Parliament for over 5 years!! Experience, that most don’t have!! Yes this is some record when it comes to Public Relations!!

According to some of the more far-left members of the Labour Party, Harriet Harman is a Tory. The somewhat surprising claim came after she told her party to abstain on the Tories' Welfare Bill, leading 48 MPs to break whip and vote against it. However, seemingly keen to silence the naysayers -- in an interview with the Guardian -- Harman, who has three children with Jack Dromey, has given an account of the lengths she has gone to to avoid socialising with Tories. The acting Leader of the Labour Party says that she once hid in a side corridor to prevent Margaret Thatcher -- who she likens to a witch -- from meeting her baby son: 'Very early on, I brought in one of the babies to the Commons and I saw her at the other end of the corridor.

Although much has been made of Andy Burnham's admission in an interview with GQ that he owns an Armani suit, perhaps the most embarrassing revelation lies further down. When asked for the Gentlemen's Quarterley's September issue who he would like to lead the Labour party if he doesn't win the leadership election, Burnham plays it safe and chooses a politician who is not even running for the coveted position: 'Alan Johnson is somebody that I think has that authentic Labour voice that the public can relate to, and somebody who embodies aspiration in a good way.' Pity then that Johnson came out in support of his rival Yvette Cooper just two days before its publication, when the magazine had already been sent to the printers.