In the summer of 2022, a slightly strange story appeared in the pages of several Scottish national newspapers.

The gist of it was that Andy Burnham, then mayor of Greater Manchester, had been “snubbed” by the then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who, so the tale went, had failed to take him up on his offer to meet while he was visiting Scotland to appear at the Edinburgh Fringe.

It was odd for the simple reason it wasn’t true, which was made clear to those who cared to check with the Scottish Government team responsible for responding to media queries, of which I was then part. An approach for a meeting had been made and the First Minister’s office was in the process of fixing a date, but the “snub” story ran in various places regardless.

Whether it was the result of briefing from the mayor’s team, eager to pick a fight with a Scottish administration with which Burnham had the previous year concocted a needless spat over Covid restrictions, or whether it was just crossed wires may never be entirely clear.

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In any case, a meeting between the First Minister and Burnham was arranged. In it, the mayor displayed what can........

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