Andy Burnham dodges tricky questions again – as Express blocked from interviewing him

Wannabe Labour MP and Prime Minister-hopeful Andy Burnham has dodged the Express yet again as he entertained media on his Ashton-in-Makerfield by-election campaign trail. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, 56, first blanked us last month when an Express reporter tried to quiz him about a Brexit U-turn as he limbered up for a morning run.

Now on Tuesday this week the Express was declined entry to a by-election press conference at the Platt Bridge Community Centre near Ashton-in-Makerfield – with other media allowed in instead. As Burnham left he said he was “afraid” he did not have time to answer any of our questions outside the venue but indicated he might give us time “later in the campaign”.

But within hours, his team told us that now was not “possible,” and it was unlikely we could sit down with him in the next two weeks – therefore not quiz him before the June 18 election.

It comes as Burnham reportedly cancelled a call with hedge fund managers this week at short notice – as he tries to reassure nervous City of London investors about his borrowing plans.

A Reform UK spokesperson said: “Andy Burnham is hiding from the press because he knows he can’t defend his record.

“This campaign has exposed his failures on grooming gangs, his failure to protect women and girls, and his support for open-border policies.

“With more than five U-turns in just a few weeks, Burnham has shown that he stands for almost nothing. He’ll say whatever it takes to win.”

Burnham’s media call on Tuesday afternoon in Platt Bridge saw him invite outlets like Sky News, The Guardian, the Press Association, BBC North-West and ITV Granada.

The Express contacted Burnham’s communication staff on the ground in Ashton-in-Makerfield at 10am to ask to attend the 1pm press call – where he would chat with flooding victims in the by-election town, then have a ‘media huddle’ for questions afterwards.

But we were told the accreditation for the event “has been finalised”. Having already been in the town that morning to interview voters we drove to the community centre hoping to chat to Burnham as he entered – or afterwards as he left.

On arrival the Express asked him: “Andy, it’s the Daily Express – is there a chance to have a word with you outside afterwards?”

He told us: “I think it’s afterwards isn’t it?”

We double-checked: “Is that alright?” And he replied: “Yup.”

While he met flooding victims inside, signalling he could bring in a 10-year plan to renationalise the water industry, we were approached by the first of three of his staff asking why we had come.

The first told us they were “really sorry he’s not going to have any time to do anything today” because they had pitched the event as an exclusive to other specially selected national media.

We asked if he could simply speak to us outside on the street but were told: “I’m afraid not, not today. He’s got other engagements after this.”

She added: “The best thing to do is pitch in (send in a request for an interview) because there’s loads of asks on us.”

We responded: “Ok. It is a bit of a poor excuse isn’t it?” She replied: “Well, it’s a no for today.”

Minutes later a second staff member came out smiling, saying she had heard we had had a “disagreement” about our reporter and photographer being outside the building.

I told her: “I just thought when he comes out I’d be able to talk to him. He’s a politician; I thought that’s what they do?”

She said: “They do talk to people but we also have agreements about who comes to stuff and who doesn’t and I think my colleague told you already that we had an accredited list but you turned up anyway.”

I responded: “I’m a journalist and the guy I’m reporting about is here so I’m going to come here aren’t I?”

She hit back: “Yeah, but it’s quite a big constituency so you can be other places. Well, I think there’s a different approach to this – to speak to us.”

I explained that we had asked to attend that morning but were told we couldn’t adding: “I’m a journalist and this is a public place. I mean if he spoke to everybody it wouldn’t be a problem would it?”

She replied: “Sorry, that’s just ridiculous. He’s obviously not going to speak to everyone. For future reference if we have a conversation with you it would be good if we stuck to it.”

We could only assume the “conversation” they wanted us to “stick to” was where they told us we could not join in the press event – which we did stick to, as all along we had only asked to have a quick word with Burnham outside afterwards.

A third member of Burnham’s staff approached us the exact moment the wannabe-MP left the building to jump into a waiting car, suggesting we WhatsApp him if we want to request an interview at a later date.

As Burnham left we asked him if he would speak to us outside as he indicated he would – but he said maybe “later in the campaign”.

Later that evening we had a WhatsApp from one of his team explaining it will not “be possible” for us to speak to Burnham at all before the June 18 by-election.

It is not the first request for a challenging discussion Burnham has reportedly dodged this week.

The mayor was due to take part in an investor call on Monday – hosted by political advisory firm Signum Global Advisors – to discuss points including “balancing fiscal policy change with bond market pressure” but cancelled.

It “was in the diary for quite a while, so strange to kill it last minute”, one person familiar with the situation told the Financial Times.

Gilt investors told the FT last month that Burnham was the least market-friendly of those Labour contenders likely to challenge PM Sir Keir Starmer due to fears he would step up borrowing.

Burnham drew criticism last September when he said that the UK needed to get “beyond this thing of being in hock to the bond markets”.

Burnham’s spokesperson said the investor call was one of several commitments in his mayoral diary that had to be cancelled because of the by-election.