#sunnation

Response to Labour leadership article on SunNATION:

1) Slightly OTT to describe it as an ‘exclusive’ as the content is nearly all public domain from social media posts and comments, mainly on Facebook.

2) Asking to see the “real Andy Burnham” isn’t a “scathing attack”, rather the opposite as it points to the character and ideas he is capable of showing - it’s a long campaign with plenty of time for all the candidates to show and be tested on their true qualities.

3) Don’t think Andy has lurched to the left. If you look at his comments since the leadership election started he’s said things that appeal to all elements of the party. What I have cautioned is that he can’t talk too much to the Labour Party’s base and needs to reach out to everyone.

4) In a mobile phone conversation Tom Newton-Dunn asked if I thought Andy was a political chameleon to which I replied no as his values remain consistent, but you can choose to highlight different aspects of it at different times.

5) I said that Andy made an excellent speech at Bloomberg and needs to do more of that  “The real Andy Burnham genuinely does understand opportunity. I would like to see more of that one.”

6) As far as I am aware all three nominated candidates have now made indications that if the remaining two are just short of the threshold for nominations then they will encourage their supporters to nominate rivals. Therefore all three have demonstrated real leadership, not cowardice.

7) I worked for Andy at the start of his campaign, but not through to the end as I couldn’t take that long off from running the business I was MD of at the time.

8) Personally I’d like to see all five leadership candidates on the ballot for Labour Party members to choose from. It’s vital that we have the most open, transparent debate possible and we can only do this if we have as wide a choice as possible. 

9) The only candidate I’d rule out voting for is Jeremy Corbyn, but I do believe he should be on the ballot paper.