Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been heavily criticized on TalkTV, with presenter Kevin O'Sullivan naming him his "plank of the week" for taking a holiday after just 15 days in office. Burnham, who took over from Keir Starmer on July 20, confirmed he would be taking a break to spend time with his family, a decision that has sparked widespread backlash.
O'Sullivan's Scathing Nickname
O'Sullivan announced his nomination, calling Burnham "the messiah without a mandate." He elaborated: "Our Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has landed himself an unusual deal as our national leader. It's the first time it's happened."
He compared Burnham's schedule to that of an oil rig worker, saying: "He's going to do two weeks on and two weeks off. That seems to be the system because he did two weeks mainly in number 10 Downing Street, but a couple of days in Downing Street North or whatever he calls it. But 15 days he did, then he hopped on a plane and went to Europe on a two-week holiday."
Questioning the Timing
While acknowledging that politicians deserve holidays, O'Sullivan questioned the timing, arguing the nation is "falling apart." He said: "Politicians deserve holidays like everybody else, prime ministers especially, even the prime ministers you hate. And I've hated nearly every one of them for a long time. They do work hard. They deserve a holiday. But not after 15 days, with all the crises engulfing this nation. This nation is falling apart at the seams and he's gone on vacation. Unbelievable."
Panelist Attacks
Panelist Alex Phillips said she hopes Burnham "stays there forever" before launching a scathing attack. She fumed: "What really upsets me about this man is he's such an easy target and no one's actually going for it," before branding Burnham "infantile" and a "waste of space."
O'Sullivan agreed, adding: "He's an empty vessel!" Broadcaster Adam Brooks echoed the criticism, saying: "To go away after 15 days shows pure contempt to the British public. It's an insult to us."
