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Labour needs more people with regional accents in its front ranks, leadership contender Andy Burnham has said.

Liverpool-born Mr Burnham, who has not lost his northern accent despite studying at Cambridge and working in Westminster, said Labour had in the past tended to promote people with “posher” voices.

Speaking to the New Statesman magazine, the MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester said the party would “look and feel” different if he won the contest to replace Ed Miliband as leader.

“There’s not enough accents on the frontbench,” Mr Burnham told the New Statesman.

“I’ve always had a strong sense that an accent holds you back. I felt that when I got to Cambridge, kind of that feeling of waiting for the tap on the shoulder, but it was true in Westminster as well... you’re not part of the in-crowd when you come from a different background.”

He added: “It does pain me to say this, but the Labour Party’s replicated that itself. Of all organisations in the country, the Labour Party has had the tendency to promote people with posher voices. And consequently, we have found ourselves looking quite remote from some people; they've looked at us and seen a party they can’t relate to.

“The Labour Party will not be like that under my leadership. It will look and feel different. There’ll be different voices - it will look like a change has been made.”

Mr Burnham denied he was part of the “Westminster bubble”, despite having worked as an MP’s researcher and a special adviser before being elected to the Commons aged 31.

“Yes, I’ve spent lots of time here,” he said. “But I’ve never bought in to the real in-crowd... I’ve never spent my weekends here ever since I’ve been an MP; I’ve always been back at home, going to the match - that’s who I am, that’s what I’ve done all my life.

“When I’ve been asked to show my loyalty, it’s never been to Westminster.”