Allies of Wes Streeting have launched a scathing attack on Andy Burnham, describing him as a human “shopping trolley” following a series of policy reversals in recent days. The insult, originally coined by Dominic Cummings to criticise Boris Johnson’s chaotic governance, now threatens to define Burnham’s campaign as he vies to replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister.
Bitter War of Words Escalates
The attack on the left-wing Burnham comes amid an increasingly bitter war of words between the two main contenders for the Labour leadership. A close ally of Streeting told The Independent that the former health secretary intends to expose what he regards as a string of inconsistencies in Burnham’s policies should a formal leadership contest be triggered.
“Burnham is a human shopping trolley. Wes has a few surprises which will expose that to a wider audience,” the source said.
Policy U-Turns Under Scrutiny
Burnham has performed two significant policy somersaults in recent days. After previously stating that the UK should eventually rejoin the EU, he now says he has no intention of reopening the question of Britain’s membership if he becomes prime minister. He declared he respects the 2016 referendum result and does not want to get stuck in a “permanent rut” of disputes. This shift came after Streeting said he hoped Brexit would be reversed, prompting Burnham’s supporters to accuse Streeting of attempting to “sabotage” his chances in the upcoming Makerfield by-election, a constituency seen as strongly pro-Brexit.
In another major reversal, Burnham announced he would abide by the government’s fiscal rules and not borrow to fund day-to-day spending, having earlier suggested extra borrowing could finance additional defence spending. He had previously criticised governments for being “in hock to the bond markets.” Uncertainty caused by the leadership contest, combined with concerns over Burnham’s economic policies, has led to a spike in the cost of government debt in recent days.
Leadership Contest Dynamics
Burnham and Streeting are the two main contenders to succeed Sir Keir if he is forced to leave Downing Street. Streeting, seen as a Blairite with close links to disgraced former British ambassador Peter Mandelson, resigned as health secretary last week to pursue his leadership ambition. Burnham is bidding to become the Labour candidate in the Makerfield by-election, following the resignation of sitting MP Josh Simons to pave the way for Burnham to take over the seat and mount his own challenge.
Sir Keir faced calls to resign from nearly 100 Labour MPs after the party suffered heavy losses to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in this month’s local elections. However, the prime minister has refused to step down, and allies insist he will not set a timetable for his departure. Many Labour MPs believe he will be forced to go if Burnham wins the by-election but could cling on if Burnham is defeated.
Polling and Member Support
The latest spat follows a survey of Labour Party members indicating Burnham would trounce Streeting by 80 per cent to 20 per cent in a leadership contest. A new YouGov poll also suggests Burnham would defeat Starmer by 59 per cent to 37 per cent.
Policy Platform and Defence
Burnham is in favour of restoring water, transport, and social housing to public control, as well as introducing rent controls to curb the rising cost of living. His allies point to his record as mayor of Manchester, regarded as one of Britain’s most economically successful cities in recent years, as evidence that his policies are practical and could work on a national scale.
