Andy Burnham has been accused of attempting to avoid scrutiny after journalists were informed he would not be taking questions following his first major policy speech.
The decision triggered immediate criticism from political opponents, who argued that a politician on the verge of entering Downing Street should be willing to submit himself to questioning from both Parliament and the media.
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, led the criticism, describing the move as an example of “power without accountability”.
In a social media post, Tice wrote:
“Burnham’s coup is well underway. Big speech today with no questions from journalists. No debate in Parliament. No scrutiny from MPs until September. Power without accountability. Funny how Burnham demanded a General Election in 2022, but not now. We need a General Election.”
The criticism comes against the backdrop of growing questions about Burnham’s willingness to face unscripted media scrutiny during his rapid ascent to the top of British politics.
During Labour’s leadership campaign, Burnham became involved in a highly publicised confrontation with a journalist. He subsequently posted a series of angry messages on social media, including one directed at GB News that was later deleted.
The incident attracted considerable attention because the broadcaster had not been directly involved in the original exchange, leading critics to question why Burnham had chosen to target the channel at all.
Since then, opponents have repeatedly accused Burnham of limiting opportunities for journalists to question him directly.
Following his victory in the Makerfield by-election, reporters seeking answers about his leadership ambitions and future plans were left frustrated as Burnham largely avoided substantive questioning. Political rivals seized on footage from the event, claiming he appeared more interested in celebrating victory than answering difficult questions from the press.
His media performances have also come under scrutiny. During recent appearances, including an interview on BBC Newsnight, Burnham was repeatedly pressed on his plans for government, fiscal policy and leadership ambitions. Critics argued that he appeared ill-prepared for detailed scrutiny, repeatedly failing to provide clear answers and exposing what they described as significant gaps in his knowledge of several important policy issues.
Monday’s speech was intended to showcase Burnham’s vision for Britain, including what he described as the biggest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times. The plans include moving significant decision-making powers away from Westminster and establishing a greater governmental presence in the North of England.
However, the policy proposals were quickly overshadowed by the decision not to hold a press conference afterwards.
The move drew criticism from across the political spectrum. Speaking on Sky News, Robert Jenrick said he found it “very strange” that a politician who could become Prime Minister within weeks was unwilling to take a single question from journalists. Jenrick argued that Burnham appeared to want to “glide through the summer” without answering difficult questions.
Critics contend that the pattern is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: a candidate who clashed with journalists during the campaign, deleted controversial social media posts, gave guarded media interviews, avoided extensive questioning after his by-election victory and has now declined to take questions following the most significant speech of his political career.
With Burnham expected to become Britain’s next Prime Minister within weeks, opponents argue that the central issue is no longer what policies he is proposing, but whether he is prepared to subject those policies to the level of scrutiny that comes with high office.
