Andy Burnham’s Labour leadership bid hit a rough patch at the GMB hustings today. When asked by the moderator Kevin Maguire if he supported the £23,000 a year benefits cap, unlike the other candidates, Burnham was unable to give a straight yes or no answer. As you can watch above, he attempted to explain his stance: ‘In principle, it’s not right that people on benefits get more than they are likely to earn in a lifetime,’ but the audience didn’t seem to care.
Then later in the debate, the candidates were quizzed on the cost of everyday items, such as petrol. After hesitating, Burnham said it was £1.60 a litre — far off the current average price of £1.16 according to the AA. For a candidate standing on his everyday bloke anti-Westminster appeal, both of these mistakes will damage his standing.
So far, Burnham’s campaign has had an easy ride. He remains the favourite to win the contest, according to the bookies, and has the most MPs backing his bid. As the debate moves into specifics, Burnham can look forward to more scrutiny. The benefits cap in particular is a problem for him. A few weeks ago, he said Labour should not be seen to be on side with ‘people who want something for nothing’ and notionally supported the cap. His response today suggests otherwise, although the problem may be that Burnham was not entirely supportive of Labour’s sympathy for lowering the cap in the first place.
Burnham will likely strengthen his language on welfare in the next few days, there is always the chance he might drop support for a lower cap after he becomes leader. With nine weeks to go until the contest is over, what happens is likely to change. As one campaign told told Isabel, ‘nothing Harriet does now is set (or written) in stone.’ Combined with his praise for Ed Miliband — he highlighted his work in inequality at the hustings — and his closeness to Unite boss Len McCluskey, Burnham has solidified his position of the candidate of the left in the leadership race.
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