Andy Burnham is making Keir Starmer look good at politics |
One of the many complaints levied against Keir Starmer is that he is fundamentally bad at politics; he doesn’t know how to win people over, keep voters on his side. But on current showing he is a darned sight better at the game than is Andy Burnham. Whatever possessed the leadership hopeful at the weekend to suggest that he favoured rejoining the EU? Even the most basic research on Makerfield, the constituency he must win before he can make a bid to become Labour leader and prime minister, would have told him that it voted Leave in 2016 by a margin of two thirds to one.
Having failed to find that out, he was forced into a hasty retreat yesterday, saying that he ‘respects’ Brexit. I fear it may be too late; he has already energised the Reform UK campaign. Given that Burnham starts with only a 5,000 majority over Reform UK – which was won during Labour’s 2024 landslide – it is not looking good for Burnham.
Whatever possessed the leadership hopeful at the weekend to suggest........