Andy Burnham: 'Rishi Sunak relied on underhanded antics to spoil debate'

05 June 2024 , 14:41

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Andy Burnham: 'Rishi Sunak relied on underhanded antics to spoil debate'

It was billed by ITV as Sunak v Starmer – a throwback to one of its big boxing nights of old.

But it turned out to be one of those frustrating encounters when the underhand antics of one side spoil it for everyone. From the first bell, Sunak was throwing wild punches based on an alleged £2000 tax rise.

It was a new line of attack which he would go on to use no less than 16 times - SIXTEEN! This tactic would be highly annoying in any debate but it was certainly so in ITV’s truncated format.

The limited time for exchanges, and Sunak’s attempts to talk over everyone, left little time for it to be challenged. Keir Starmer did call it out - and, as the dust has settled on the morning and all the video clips minutely analysed, we can see now that Sunak was throwing illegal punches.

Rishi Sunak spoiled yesterday's debate by repeating a disputed £2,000 Labour tax claim, says Andy Burnham

At one point, under pressure, he retaliated that his £2000 figure came from "independent Treasury officials" - a dodgy manoeuvre lifted straight from the Boris training manual. The Head of His Majesty’s Treasury has since made it clear that calculations done by those officials were augmented by Sunak’s spin doctors.

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This is the boxing equivalent of using a banned substance, or putting something in your gloves, and trying to hide it from the judges. So, whilst it wasn’t a great watch, the exchange at least revealed something of the character of the combatants in this election.

Keir Starmer is facing a desperate Tory Party which wants to drag him into their gutter and, in the circumstances, he did well to keep his dignity and prevent them from doing so. More than that, Keir deployed some fancy footwork in the fourth round on the NHS which left the studio audience laughing at Sunak’s desperate claim that NHS waiting lists were coming down.

Keir Starmer showed some 'fancy footwork' during his debate clash with Rishi Sunak (PA)

This was without doubt the most revealing moment of the night. It was when Sunak was firmly rocked backwards.

By this point, the Greater Manchester audience had got the measure of Sunak’s MO. They had seen through his flailing style. On the Number One issue for the public, they could see that this was not in fact a man with a clear plan and bold action. It was an over-hyped wannabe, full of trash talk, who was found out on the biggest stage.

Andy Burnham