MOST of the region’s MPs are backing Andy Burnham to be Labour’s next leader, delivering a big boost to the race’s favourite.

Thirteen of the 18 MPs in the North-East and North Yorkshire who have declared an allegiance have thrown their weight beyond the former Health Secretary.

That gives Mr Burnham a huge leader over his chief rivals, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (three supporters) and fast-rising care spokeswoman Liz Kendall (two).

A fourth candidate, international aid spokeswoman Mary Creagh, is yet to gain a single backer among the region’s MPs and is struggling to get in the race.

But a further eight MPs say they are still weighing up who to support, some consulting local members, with the four-month campaign only just underway.

Mr Burnham – the bookies’ and, probably, trade unions’ favourite – has already cleared the threshold of 35 endorsements from his parliamentary colleagues, 15 per cent of the total.

In this region, his backers include Alex Cunningham (Stockton North), Pat Glass (Durham North West), Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough) and Grahame Morris (Easington).

And two of the 2015 intake - Anna Turley (Redcar) and Rachael Maskell (York Central) – have also picked Mr Burnham as the candidate to revive Labour, after its general election disaster.

Mr Cunningham said: “I have watched Andy with all sorts of people and seen how he connects with them.

“He has clear principles around ensuring everyone has a stake in our country, whether a young person needing training or developing the NHS as the patient centred organisation we need it to be.”

And Ms Turley argued: “Andy is the strongest candidate for prime minister who understands the scale of the challenge and is up to the task of being Labour leader from day one.”

Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland), Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West) and Kevan Jones (Durham North) are backing Ms Cooper, a Cabinet minister under Gordon Brown.

Mr Jones explained: “Yvette has got wide experience in Government, she would be a strong leader able to take on Cameron at the dispatch box and having a women leader would also be positive.”

But Jenny Chapman (Darlington) and Phil Wilson (Sedgefield) have swung behind Ms Kendall – widely seen as the Blairite candidate.

Mr Wilson said: “Liz has spoken consistently about the need for reform, of both the Labour party and the country, and would be a fresh start for the future.”

Mr Burnham’s hefty lead will cement his advantage as the early frontrunner. Ms Kendall, meanwhile, is seen as the “change candidate”, while Ms Cooper has warned against lurching to either left or right.

Nominations open officially next week, with voting to take place from August 14. The ballot closes on September 10, with the result declared two days later, at a special conference.

Yesterday, Mr Mearns was wrongly reported to be backing Mr Burnham, but said: “I have not decided. I think there was a tweet from an account purporting to be Andy’s team.”