Andy Burnham ‘scared of scrutiny’ by failing to face MPs, say Conservatives
Andy Burnham has been accused of “running scared of public scrutiny before he can even take office” by not taking questions from MPs before they break for the summer.
Shadow Commons leader Jesse Norman said the Conservatives want a vote on delaying the summer recess so MPs have the chance to question Mr Burnham about his premiership when it begins next week.
Mr Burnham will formally take over from Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on Monday July 20.
The House of Commons is due to rise for the summer recess on Thursday, with MPs set to return to the debating chambers on September 1.
If the Government wishes to recall Parliament during the break, ministers can lodge a request with Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who then makes a decision based on the public interest.
Mr Norman said the decision not to debate adding sitting days this side of the recess is “a total humiliation and embarrassment for the Government”.
Wednesday was due to be an Opposition Day, one of several days during the parliamentary session when the Conservatives are guaranteed a debate on a motion of their choice.
But Commons Leader Sir Alan Campbell announced a change to the order paper, so MPs will instead debate the conflict in Iran and a statutory instrument related to national security.
Mr Norman said his party wants to debate delaying the summer recess until Monday July 20 “to enable the new prime minister to make a statement about his plans for Government”.
He continued: “The Government has a majority of more than 150 and it could not trust its MPs to vote the right way on that motion.
“It could not bear the idea of a new prime minister facing any scrutiny before September.
“A prime minister, let me remind us all, who has been chosen by a coronation not a contest, with no known platform, almost no known policies and no idea of his priorities or indeed his cabinet team.”
Mr Norman also said: “It is the worst possible start for a new prime minister.
“People across this country will see what has happened and they will conclude that this is a man who is frit, running scared of public scrutiny before he can even take office.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch later wrote on X that removing this week’s Opposition Day was an “unprecedented move”.
She said Labour MPs “know the honeymoon will be over the minute” Mr Burnham sets out his agenda.
Sir Alan defended his decision to change Wednesday’s agenda, saying he had not seen the Conservatives’ draft Opposition Day motion.
“It was not tabled for tomorrow, we did not see the words of the motion,” he added.
“A decision was made on whether or not the House should debate an unfolding international crisis or not.”
Referring to the general debate on Iran, Sir Alan told the Commons: “I do, first of all, appreciate the frustration of members when business is changed at short notice and debates are postponed.
“But members will appreciate the importance of the House being able to discuss the escalating and fast-moving situation in the Middle East before the recess.”
Another draft Opposition Day motion for Wednesday was one “indeed to censure” Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, according to Conservative former minister Sir Alec Shelbrooke.
He said: “(Sir Alan) has made quite clear that the crisis in the Middle East has a direct impact on this country because of energy crises, and yet we will not be able to censure the Energy Secretary for the tens of thousands of jobs he has seen disappear in the oil and gas industry.
“I find it quite hard to understand how the whips’ office has fallen so far that the usual channels didn’t know what the motions were going to be tomorrow.”
Responding, Sir Alan said: “I’m really grateful to (Sir Alec) for informing, certainly this side of the House, of what the other topic was going to be for the opposition debate.”
He also said: “I am standing at the despatch box, and you know how important I put ministers telling the absolute truth when they stand here, I was totally unaware of the topic – not the wording, the topic.
“That illustrates his point about the usual channels because the usual channels, funnily enough, is a two-way process.”
Mr Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, has the backing of at least 349 Labour MPs to become their party leader.
It is now mathematically impossible for another candidate to secure the 81 supporters necessary to launch a late bid for the keys to No 10.
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