LONDON, June 26 — The shift is unmistakable. Labour backbenchers are whispering Andy Burnham’s name with a near-crazed glint in their eyes, and the party’s embrace of the man has taken on what one observer describes as an almost messianic quality. It is, frankly, a spectacle that invites comparisons to Beatlemania at its peak — and that is the problem.
Burnham won the Makerfield by-election by a considerable amount. Yes, it was potentially a tough seat for Labour to hold.
But the victory came with an asterisk: Reform handed it to him on a plate with a desperately poor candidate whom they had clearly failed to vet adequately. And on that basis, Labour MPs are now presenting Burnham as some steady, statesmanlike, experienced figure waiting in the wings to ride in and rescue the country. Let’s be clear about the man being anointed.
Andy Burnham first came to national attention as a young minister. He was nicknamed Bambi — yes, Bambi — because of his doe-like brown eyes and soft skin.
He rose relatively quickly and served as Health Secretary between 2009 and 2010, a period when the department was still dealing with the consequences of the previous administration’s decisions. The assumption behind why Burnham is Labour’s great hope rests on a remarkable lack of examination or discussion of his achievements, either during his time in Westminster or as Mayor of Greater Manchester. Nobody is asking the hard questions.
Nobody is scrutinising the record. Instead, the party is treating him as King Arthur out of Silbury Hill, the anointed King in the North, ready to save Britain in its darkest hour. This is beyond satire.
It is ludicrous beyond words. But it is happening.
It is real. King Andy is going to be crowned PM, and far too many in the Labour party really believe he is some kind of messiah. Watch this space.
The weight of expectation being put on a man who would barely qualify as a fourth rater will make the inevitable bloodbath all the more vicious and amusing when Burnham inevitably fails — and fails spectacularly.
