The ghosts of Burnham past haunt his campaign
6/11/202623 min
Andy Burnham’s political opponents are finding plenty of attack lines to throw at him. So, are past comments and policy positions – from WASPI women to calls for an early election – coming back to haunt the Burnham campaign?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy also wonder who is to blame for Keir Starmer’s troubles? Well, according to a focus group of Labour members – it's all the media’s fault!
The duo unpack the mood within the party and the continued paralysis at the heart of government – affecting everything from the delayed reset of relations with the EU to the even more delayed Defence Investment Plan.
You can see all the candidates standing in the Makerfield by-election here.
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSam Coates· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Hello, good morning and welcome. It's Thursday, June the 11th. So who does Labour, specifically Labour members, think is to blame for Keir Starmer's many and disparate, desperate woes, Anne? Well, a focus group of Labour members in The Times this morning has the answer. They believe responsibility isn't with the Prime Minister himself, oh no, but with the media. It's our fault, your fault. How do you plead, Anne? My name is Sam Coates of Sky News.
Anne McElvoy· Host0:31
I'll plead that it's not my fault, it's Sam Coates' fault. But no, this group thinks they have a solution for both of us. There needs to be a clampdown, restrictions on the media. Some Labour members in that group saying that is overdue, and it's all that can stop blatant lies being circulated. I think it's a bit like an up-to-date version of the Tony Blair feral beasts of the press speech, for anyone old enough to remember that. The other headline conclusion of this group is that if it comes to a contest between Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham, for instance, Burnham would be the next Prime Minister.
Sam Coates· Host1:10
Yeah, the focus group from Public First, from Labour members all across the country, make quite compelling reading. Um, I, I, and I thought it was worth mentioning it, the stuff about the media because it, it really does speak to this idea that for better or for worse, and frankly probably for worse, there are just signs