Andy Burnham, the newly appointed Labour leader and prime minister, faced immediate backlash on TalkTV just hours after taking office. Presenter Kevin O'Sullivan and journalist Harry Cole launched a scathing attack, questioning his legitimacy and priorities.
O'Sullivan: 'Unelected and Unvoted For'
O'Sullivan pointed to a new poll showing that more than half of the public now wants a general election. 'We talked earlier about how this guy has basically ripped up the manifesto and come up with his own new manifesto, unelected and unvoted for,' he told Harry Cole. 'The people are saying, "You can't do this. You've just turned up in 10 Downing Street, announced you're our king and we haven't had a say in the matter." We want a general election! I think these demands are becoming serious.'
Cole: 'Focus on What People Care About'
Cole criticised Burnham's emphasis on devolution, claiming it is the issue the British public care about least. 'The three priorities of the British people are immigration, the cost of living and the health service. These are the things that he needs to focus on,' Cole said. He added that another poll suggested devolution was the least important issue to voters. 'What does Andy Burnham keep banging on about day in, day out? Devolution. He is coming into Downing Street promising to talk about the thing the British public care the least about.'
Public Demands: GP Access, NHS, Cost of Living, Border Control
Cole argued that what the public really wants is easier access to GP appointments, shorter NHS waiting lists, a lower cost of living and stronger border controls to tackle illegal immigration. 'All those three things are totally linked to why we are stagnating as a country and why it feels like this country doesn't work anymore because we are expanding our population too quickly while our public services cannot survive,' he said. 'Address that and frankly, I don't care whether we have an election. Just get a grip on the things that people care about and if you don't, go to the country and find out what they really think!'
Burnham's Pledge: Biggest Change in 40 Years
In response, Burnham has promised the biggest political and economic change in 40 years, saying he will bring 'life's essentials back under stronger public control' to make them more affordable. He added: 'I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you, and I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough, and we need to be better. We will be. We will make this moment a circuit-breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years. A new political model and a new economic model.'
