Scottish Labour members were tired of being asked whether Andy Burnham understands Scotland. The Prime Minister did not attend the annual Scots night at the Labour party conference in Liverpool on Sunday, a decision that caused grumbling among members who had hoped for encouragement after another heavy election defeat to the SNP in May.
Earlier that day, dramatic events at RAF Fairfield and Donald Trump's commentary on them had already disrupted the PM's schedule. Polling indicates Scots like Burnham even if they do not much like Labour, but since he entered Downing Street there has been little sign of him north of the Border.
Constitution remarks and a walk-back
For a few hours, it appeared the PM had given the SNP a major concession on the constitution by suggesting there should be a legal pathway to another referendum. He later walked back from the remarks, insisting Labour had been elected in 2024 with a clear manifesto commitment not to hold IndyRef2. The episode led more people to ask the same question: does Burnham get Scotland?
A senior Scottish Labour figure told me the night before the PM's big speech that there would be a whole segment about Scotland in it. That proved to be an understatement.
A personal defence of the Union
In the conference hall, Burnham spent around 30 minutes talking about fixing issues that apply in England and Wales but not in devolved Scotland, noting there is no need to renationalise Scottish Water because it is already publicly owned. He briefly mentioned taking a "pragmatic" approach to North Sea oil and gas.
The bold commitment to scrap the pensions triple lock by 2030, which will face significant push-back from other parties, seemed certain to be the biggest talking point of the speech. But then Burnham spoke about his late father Roy and how his unfailing faith in the UK as a force for good remains an inspiration to the PM.
A message for Scottish Labour
"The United Kingdom my dad represented is the one I believe in," he said, a line expected to be repeated ahead of the next general election. For years, successive prime ministers have struggled to articulate why they believe in the Union between Scotland and England. Burnham showed it is possible to offer a sincere view on the future of the UK without sounding like a cold and aloof Westminster bureaucrat.
It may not win over many committed supporters of independence, but it was the boost Scottish Labour and new leader Michael Marra needed after a bruising year. Does Burnham get Scotland? Too right he does.
