During a recent session of Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), Prime Minister Andy Burnham experienced a significant difficulty in locating pertinent information within his notes, leading to a moment of evident panic and drawing sharp remarks from his political opponents.
The incident occurred as Kemi Badenoch posed challenging questions regarding defence funding and the Chagos Islands, which she noted could cost £35 billion. Witnesses observed Burnham repeatedly flicking through his A4 folder, appearing increasingly flustered as he searched for a specific fact. At one point, he mistakenly turned to two blank pages within the document.
Badenoch, observing Burnham's struggle, interjected with, "Let me tell him what may not be in his notes." This prompted laughter from the Conservative benches. Adding to the difficulty, Burnham had previously made a statement suggesting that national security could not come at the expense of social security, a remark that appeared to surprise Badenoch and draw criticism from the Conservatives, who responded with shouts of "tax! tax!"
Following this, Burnham was dubbed "Continuity Keir" by Badenoch, a reference to his predecessor. Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood, seated nearby, offered no immediate assistance. The Prime Minister eventually set aside his folder and proceeded to deliver a statement on Israel, which was met with a relieved cheer from his own party's backbenchers.
The performance was described as slow, with moments of levity including a shared sentiment with the Speaker about a mutual appreciation for the south of England. While noted as less irksome than Sir Keir Starmer, Burnham's dialectical weakness was highlighted as concerning.
Sir Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats also posed a question, to which Burnham responded, "That's a fair question." The article notes the Liberal Democrats' limited role as an opposition party.
Earlier in the week, Burnham had agreed to meetings with MPs Andrew George and Alberto Costa. The session concluded with apparent solidarity among Labour MPs, who gathered around Burnham. The House is set to rise for party conferences, providing a month-long respite from PMQs.