Andy Burnham's record of policy reversals on EU free movement has come under scrutiny, with a political commentator questioning whether the Labour leader's current stance is genuine.
Jonathan Saxty, writing for the Daily Express, highlighted Burnham's past criticism of free movement, noting his earlier statement that it had allowed "the undercutting of wages." Saxty also recalled Burnham's previous support for rejoining the EU, which he later tempered by saying he would not advocate rejoining in the short term.
Pattern of U-turns
Burnham has also reversed positions on other issues, including trans women using female toilets, restrictions on immigrants accessing public funds, and the government's fiscal rules. Saxty compared this to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's reversals on Net Zero and the European Convention on Human Rights.
The commentator argued that such inconsistency raises questions about authenticity, stating that "we cannot possibly afford leaders who display such inconsistency and inauthenticity."
