Andy Burnham, widely seen as the next Prime Minister, is facing accusations of evading media scrutiny and stifling democratic accountability. Critics, including journalists and political opponents, claim the Greater Manchester Mayor is deliberately avoiding questions from the press and restricting access to his events.
Mayor's media strategy under fire
According to a report by Chris Riches in the Express, Burnham has developed a pattern of ducking journalists' queries. In May 2026, amid intense speculation about his return to Manchester, he skipped his regular BBC Manchester phone-in show. He also refused to answer questions from the Express about his U-turn on Brexit during the Makerfield by-election campaign. When Riches attempted to attend a Q&A event in Ashton-in-Makerfield, he was initially denied entry and later, after waiting outside for two hours, Burnham declined to speak with him.
Burnham's communications advisor reportedly asked Riches why he had come, adding, "It's quite a big constituency so you can be other places…" Other journalists from non-Labour-aligned media outlets have also been banned from covering his events.
Hand-picked audience and no questions
On Monday, June 29, 2026, Burnham called a press conference at the People's History Museum in Manchester to announce his policy agenda for a potential 10-year premiership. However, he delivered his speech and then walked off stage without taking any questions. The audience consisted entirely of supporters, including Labour councillors and MPs. Some journalists reported being banned from attending, with the same excuse: "He didn't have time."
Reform UK leader Richard Tice accused Burnham of taking "power without accountability," while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described his refusal to answer questions as "simply not good enough."
Comparison with other leaders
In contrast, Sir Keir Starmer regularly takes questions from the media after major speeches. Even Vladimir Putin fields questions from the BBC's Steve Rosenberg, and Donald Trump engages with left-wing US media. Burnham's approach has drawn comparisons to Muhammad Ali's 'rope-a-dope' tactic in boxing, where he dodged blows to tire his opponent. But critics question whether this is an ingenious strategy or a troubling sign of authoritarian tendencies.
Burnham was elected with just 24,927 votes in the Greater Manchester mayoral election, one of the smallest mandates for a potential Prime Minister in British history. His views on key issues such as migration, small boats, taxation, the NHS, crime, small business support, Ukraine, and climate change remain largely unknown.
