Nigel Farage has issued a stark warning that Andy Burnham will enjoy only a “48 hour honeymoon” if he becomes Prime Minister. The Reform UK leader made the prediction in an exclusive interview with the Daily Expresso, as Burnham prepares for a dramatic Westminster comeback.
Burnham's By-Election Bid
The Greater Manchester Mayor is the favourite to win Thursday's crucial Makerfield by-election. If successful, he is expected to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership. However, Farage believes Burnham's transition to power will be fraught with difficulty.
“Oh, popular Andy Burnham. Why is he popular?” Farage said. “Because he's a mayor, and mayors are a civic job more than they're a political job. Boris Johnson was enormously popular, cutting ribbons, spending public money, all of that.”
Party Infighting and Economic Concerns
Farage warned that bitter internal disputes over welfare, taxes, and Peter Mandelson, combined with fears about Burnham's economic impact, will create a hostile environment. “I think the Burnham honeymoon will last for 48 hours. There isn't going to be one and there are large areas like Defence which we just have no idea what he thinks. And I suspect that he has no idea what he thinks.”
He added: “So it won’t last long, he will find it incredibly difficult and you're beginning to watch the fragmentation of Labour, and that party is ungovernable, isn't it?”
Honeymoon Periods in History
Prime Ministers typically enjoy a honeymoon period after entering No 10, but this has not always been the case. Gordon Brown saw his popularity diminish rapidly after reversing his decision on a general election and mishandling the 10p tax rate cut in 2008. Sir Keir Starmer's own honeymoon lasted only a few weeks following the decision to cut winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
Burnham is the bookies' favourite to win the Makerfield seat, ahead of Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon. If he wins, a leadership contest could tear the Labour Party apart.
