On 7th May this year, we had local elections, Scottish elections and Welsh elections. They were a complete and utter disaster for the Prime Minister.
Then, suddenly, there was a challenger. Someone was attempting a coup.
His name was Andy Burnham and he was going for the big Leave-voting seat of Makerfield on the outskirts of Manchester.
This is what Burnham had to say about Brexit and our relationship with the European Union on 18th May this year:
“I’m not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU. I respect the decision that was made at the referendum, and it’s going to undermine everything I’ve said about strengthening democracy if we don’t respect that vote.”
So there he is. He respects the decision of the British people. A pretty straight-talking kind of guy. Well, until yesterday, that is.
He said: “We would look at the different options, so we could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option if people think this is the right place to stay. We could look at what George Osborne has said about a customs union. We could look at what the Liberal Democrats said at their conference about the single market, or we could go all the way.”
This is coming from a Prime Minister who says he wants to unite the country.
I can’t think of anything more divisive than going back to the Brexit debate and some of the anger that would promote. It certainly does not honour the promise he made the people of Makerfield when he won that by-election just a few months ago.
It doesn’t pass the Makerfield test.
It will do Labour a great deal of damage in the Red Wall, but you can see what he’s trying to do, quoting the Liberal Democrats, quoting George Osborne, almost trying to build a new coalition for us to become part of that European Union again.
Will this unite the country? I don’t think it will.
(This is a slightly edited version of an article published by GB News on 1st October.)
Then, suddenly, there was a challenger. Someone was attempting a coup.
His name was Andy Burnham and he was going for the big Leave-voting seat of Makerfield on the outskirts of Manchester.
This is what Burnham had to say about Brexit and our relationship with the European Union on 18th May this year:
“I’m not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU. I respect the decision that was made at the referendum, and it’s going to undermine everything I’ve said about strengthening democracy if we don’t respect that vote.”
So there he is. He respects the decision of the British people. A pretty straight-talking kind of guy. Well, until yesterday, that is.
He said: “We would look at the different options, so we could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option if people think this is the right place to stay. We could look at what George Osborne has said about a customs union. We could look at what the Liberal Democrats said at their conference about the single market, or we could go all the way.”
This is coming from a Prime Minister who says he wants to unite the country.
I can’t think of anything more divisive than going back to the Brexit debate and some of the anger that would promote. It certainly does not honour the promise he made the people of Makerfield when he won that by-election just a few months ago.
It doesn’t pass the Makerfield test.
It will do Labour a great deal of damage in the Red Wall, but you can see what he’s trying to do, quoting the Liberal Democrats, quoting George Osborne, almost trying to build a new coalition for us to become part of that European Union again.
Will this unite the country? I don’t think it will.
(This is a slightly edited version of an article published by GB News on 1st October.)
