Andy Burnham’s ‘coronation’ as Prime Minister will leave Britons ‘shortchanged’, Tory MP warns: ‘No one knows who he is!’

Arguing that Mr Burnham will “never be more popular than he was on Monday when he arrived”, the MP told GB News: “He’s already less popular today than he was on Monday and it’s only going to continue to go downhill because that is the nature of politics.

“Let’s assume that no one’s going to stand in the Labour leadership contest, Andy Burnham will be Prime Minister in about three weeks time.

“In that time, he’s got to assemble a Cabinet, do his reshuffle and he’s got to be ready to govern the country.”

The Tory MP stressed that having heard no plans from Mr Burnham on how he plans to govern is a “worry for anybody”.

He said: “So far we’ve heard nothing from Andy Burnham about what his plan for the country is actually going to be, his actual planned out approach to how he is going to run the country, and I think that should be a worry to anybody.

“I think the fact that there’s going to be a coronation is going to be a real problem for the Labour Party.”

Expressing concern on behalf of Britons, Mr Obese-Jecty highlighted that none of Mr Burnham’s policies would be “tested in public” before he assumes power.

He told GB News: “I think whether or not there is going to be a genuine rival to Andy Burnham, and let’s be honest there, there isn’t.

“But at the same time, the fact that we’re not going to go through the scrutiny process of having his ideas tested in public as to how he’s going to lead the country is going to leave people feeling shortchanged.”

Pressed on whether he wants there to be a general election, Mr Obese-Jecty disagreed: “No, what I’m saying is people are going to wake up with Andy Burnham as the Prime Minister and people outside of the Westminster bubble and outside of Manchester have no idea who Andy Burnham is.

“And that’s going to be a problem. Andy Burnham didn’t stand on the Labour Party manifesto, he hasn’t been in Cabinet, we have no idea what any of his plans are.

“Whether he’s going to stick rigidly to the Labour manifesto upon which Keir Starmer was elected, or whether he’s even going to subscribe to any of the current plans.”

Defending Mr Burnham, Labour MP Alex Ballinger declared that he has a “fantastic record over 25 years in frontline politics”.

He said: “He’s already been an MP for several years, he’s got a fantastic record in Greater Manchester, really strong economic growth, he’s delivered transformational public service in politics and easy mode.

“He is the most popular politician in the country at the moment.”

Pushing back on Mr Ballinger’s remarks, Mr Obese-Jecty warned that we are swiftly moving into “general election territory”.

He told the Labour MP: “If he announces a raft of new measures that aren’t in the Labour Party manifesto, then already we’re straying to territory where calls for general election will become louder and louder and louder.

“And when he tries to implement those policies, people are going to feel very, very short-changed that the Labour MP that they voted for is now apparently working to a completely different manifesto.”