ANALYSIS – AARON NEWBURY: I waited outdoors Andy Burnham’s dwelling at 7am to ask about his Brexit U-turn. He merely jogged away – however he cannot conceal from voters eternally.
Andy Burnham refuses to reply Brexit query while on his morning jog
At 7am, I used to be outdoors Andy Burnham’s dwelling within the damp half-light of a Manchester morning. Was this actually the one strategy to get solutions from the person searching for the keys to No 10?
Quickly he emerged, resplendent in a yellow working high, for his morning run. I seized my second and requested him about his ever-evolving place on Brexit.
“Has your place modified, Mr Burnham? Are we in or are we out? Which transfer of the Hokey Pokey are you performing in the present day?”
He wagged his finger, shook his head and reprimanded me, earlier than loping on down the lane. Sadly, this was not the primary time I’ve confronted rejection by the hands of the Mayor.
His workplace ignored my emails when he introduced his candidacy, after which declined my request for a correct chat about British sovereignty.
The query our wannabe prime minister is so eager to disregard is comparatively easy.
Learn extra: We confronted Andy Burnham about Brexit U-turn – his tetchy response says all of it
Get the newest politics information – straight from our staff in Westminster and extra Subscribe Invalid e mail
We use your sign-up to offer content material in methods you have consented to and to enhance our understanding of you. This may occasionally embrace adverts from us and third events based mostly on our understanding. You may unsubscribe at any time. Learn our Privateness Coverage
Andy Burnham meets Categorical political correspondent Aaron Newbury. (Picture: Categorical)
On the Labour Get together convention final October, he mentioned he wished to see Britain rejoin the EU “in his lifetime”.
This week, with a by-election looming, he has modified his thoughts. The individuals of Makerfield, the place he’s standing, voted 65% to go away. The timing of his conversion is moderately handy.
You may sympathise with a politician confronted by a reporter at an inconvenient hour.
However Mr Burnham should not be shocked to search out out the nation is sort of all in favour of what he believes.
He is searching for election in a constituency the place nearly all of voters maintain robust views on the very query he now needs to skirt.
If he can not clarify his change of coronary heart to a journalist, how does he suggest to clarify it to his electors?
This isn’t solely about Brexit, although that matter is critical sufficient.
It is a couple of deeper downside quickly entrenching itself into our nation’s politics: the putrid perception amongst politicians that they will handle their method via troublesome questions by avoiding them altogether.
We’re not fools. We are able to see the calculation Mr Burnham has made.
A person who wished to rejoin the EU final October however opposes it this Might, simply as he seeks to symbolize a constituency that voted overwhelmingly to go away, is making a clear try and be all issues to all individuals.
There’s nothing flawed with altering one’s thoughts, however a minimum of clarify why. If Mr Burnham believes his new place is right, he ought to defend it overtly.
If he believes his outdated place was mistaken, he ought to say so. He should not jog away from the query.
Democracy requires accountability, and that requires politicians to reply questions they discover uncomfortable. Mr Burnham could keep away from troublesome conversations now, however he’ll discover they observe him to Westminster.
He can jog, however he can not conceal eternally.
Leave a Reply