"Whenever Westminster has gone into a moment, Andy Burnham lamented in one of his many interviews this week, I have somehow been drawn into it. Yeah, we're all trying to find the guy who did this. Why is this happening to Andy Burnham, this fevered speculation that Labour's Iron Throne has his name on it, which is now causing cabinet ministers, the prime minister and maybe even the bond markets to overtly or covertly slag him off?"
"I think what we've got to do, Andy thought in another interview, is to stop the sense in Westminster at times that everything is in flux. Counterpoint: the sense in Westminster is that everything is completely and utterly fluxed. The wider country is considerably less optimistic. Yet is Andy Burnham the answer? The Greater Manchester mayor would certainly appear to reckon so, having worked tirelessly this week to give himself pre-title billing at his party's imminent gathering in Liverpool."
Andy Burnham repeatedly becomes the focal point when political moments hit Westminster, attracting intense speculation that he could lead Labour and drawing criticism from ministers, the prime minister and financial markets. He urges a halt to perceived instability in Westminster while many insiders feel everything remains in flux and the wider public grows less optimistic. Burnham has raised his profile ahead of the party conference with a populist, confident image. Proposed measures such as partial nationalisation and wealth taxes so far are limited and do not confront the full scale of Britain's problems, projecting vibe over detailed policy.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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