Andy Burnham Is Meant To Be Labour’s Great Communicator, But Brexit Has Him Flummoxed

Andy Burnham really could not get his story straight on Brexit this week.

The prime minister caused significant confusion after he told the Rest is Politics podcast that Russia had interfered with the 2016 Brexit vote.

“I asked the question coming to Downing Street, was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia?” Burnham said. “And I’ve had the clear answer that yes, there was.”

He also claimed the UK has been “too much on the back foot” and “we haven’t informed people sufficiently” about the reality of foreign interference in British democracy.

His comments triggered a fresh debate about whether or not the Kremlin managed to swing the result for Leave a decade ago.

However, Downing Street confirmed that they believed the referendum outcome was valid, begging the question why did the PM feel the need to resurrect the issue at all?

On Monday, Burnham told MPs:“It is a matter of record that Russian actors sought to interfere in the 2019 general election, and we think it is inconceivable that this was the first time.”

The PM was then slapped down by MI5 chief Ken McCallum, who said that while Russia did attempt to interfere with the Brexit referendum, politicians should not try to overstate how successful they were.

The entire incident ended up being an unwelcome distraction for the government, as ministers are desperately trying to persuade voters that the UK needs to have closer ties with the EU.

But Burnham has also insisted that he respects the referendum result and is not reopening the Brexit debate.

He’s claimed that he will abide by Labour’s manifesto red lines on the EU single market, customs union and freedom of movement.

However, once again, his messaging on this topic has become rather mixed.

The PM has said overturning Brexit could be an option in the future – but it’s unclear whether he would want to have another referendum beforehand.

It’s not Burnham’s first slip of the tongue since getting into No.10 three months ago, either.

He sparked worries about political interference in football when he said he was “really concerned” that Manchester City might lose its owners after they were found guilty of breaching Premier League finance rules.

And on Thursday, the PM was forced to apologise and correct the official Commons record after he told that a man was “responsible for the murder” of Ann Widdecombe.

Joshua Kerry, 28, was arrested on suspicion of murder on July 11, two days after Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home – but his trial is not until June next year.

No wonder Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asked him at PMQs: “Does he ever get tired of putting his foot in his mouth?”

Listen to this week’s Commons People as the podcast unpicks exactly why Burnham seems to be tying himself in knots – and what might happen next.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.