Andy Burnham’s comments about David Davis and Shami Chakrabarti were a cheap shot and unworthy of this office. They also typified the cack-handed way in which Labour has responded to the Tories on civil liberties—more on that later.
Davis hit back hard in the papers this morning and Chakrabarti has escalated the issue with a threat of legal action:
“I look forward to your written apology as I’m sure does Mrs Davis. If on the other hand you choose to continue down the path of innuendo and attempted character assassination, you will find that the privileged legal protection of the parliament chamber does not extend to slurs made in the wider public domain.”
Having to produce a written apology would be a severe embarrassment for Burnham. It would also be a further indication that he’s another young cabinet minister who isn’t quite ready for prime time.
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