In what would mark a major departure from his predecessor’s approach to working with The Sun, Andy Burnham is reportedly planning to limit the newspaper’s access to him – by refusing to grant them any exclusive interviews or requests for published articles.
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Will Andy Burnham shut out The Sun?
As reported by The Observer on Sunday, three separate sources confirmed that he will be granting ‘no special favours’ to the major media outlet. In turn, he would become the first Prime Minister in 50 years to refuse ‘full cooperation’ with The Sun, following in the footsteps of James Callaghan.
It’s understood that the PM still harbours animosity towards the publication, following their coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster. The Sun ran a story titled ‘The Truth’, which erroneously placed the blame on Liverpool supporters for the death of 96 people in attendance.
Despite numerous apologies, bad blood still flows through Merseyside – with a boycott of the publication still very much in force across the city of Liverpool. Burnham’s political legacy is largely shaped by this tragedy, and he worked to introduce ‘The Hillsborough Law’ during his last stint in government.
PM ‘will encounter a backlash’ if plans go ahead
It is worth noting that Number 10 is yet to confirm the Labour leader’s stance on working with The Sun – but should he hold a principled position against working with them, the strategy would not be without risk. The title still remains one of the most influential in the country.
Burnham will also have to be prepared for accusations of hypocrisy. A cursory glance across social media on Sunday brings up an unfortunate photo from 2010, when he took a ride in a Sun-branded cab to promote a previous party leadership bid. The attack lines already write themselves.
Alas, a lot can change in 16 years – and a wiser, savvier version of Andy Burnham will have to be well-equipped to deal with any potential fallout. The Sun have savaged Labour leaders in the past. But as we saw with Keir Starmer, keeping them onside doesn’t particularly seem to do them any favours either.
Responding to the initial story on Sunday, two Liverpool-based Labour MPs have signalled their support for the PM, should he choose to keep The Sun at arm’s length. Both Kim Johnson and Ian Byrne have backed the move, with the former referring to the paper as ‘The Scum’.