The Reform UK leader questioned the substance of an Andy Burnham premiership
Nigel Farage has wished Andy Burnham well in his imminent appointment as prime minister – but warned GB News viewers the Makerfield MP will drag Labour even further to the left.
The Reform UK leader spoke to GB News reporter Will Godley at the Conservative Political Action Conference Great Britain (CPAC GB) today after describing Mr Burnham as a "great chameleon of British politics" during his speech at the event in London.
Mr Farage told the People's Channel he expects "lots of platitudes and warm words" from the newly elected Labour leader, "but very little positive action that will do anything to turn around the deep crisis this country is in".
He added: "I wish him well. If he suddenly announces he's going to leave the ECHR and start drilling in the north, if he does all of those things, I'll be delighted – I just don't see it."
Speaking on Mr Burnham's political career, Mr Farage, who is seeking to be re-elected as MP for Clacton next month, said: "He's always reinventing himself. He's been a Blairite, a Brownite... whatever incarnation Labour has gone through, he's supported them."
"I really question all of this vacuous talk about devolution for its own sake, about power – he dares to talk about power being given away. What do you think membership of the European Union was, which he wants to take us back even more closely to?"
He questioned what the "substance" of Mr Burnham's sporadic proposals would bring and said his appointment would likely "drag them (Labour) even further to the left".
Mr Farage added: "I can't see the boats being solved, I can't see the debt crisis being solved, I can't see the economy turning around. I suspect he's going to have a very short honeymoon."
When asked whether Andy Burnham would make a better leader than Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Farage simply replied: "Oh gosh!"
He added: "Let's see. The image and presentation of Burnham is of course superior to the way Keir Starmer does things.
"But if there's no substance, that could be revealed very quickly."
He claimed Labour colleagues had "no choice" but to replace Sir Keir Starmer after the colossal defeats to Reform UK up and down the country in the May 7 local elections.
"They saw Keir Starmer as a loser, and Burnham was all they had – all they had", Mr Farage commented.
Mr Farage's party has been calling for a snap general election to take place upon Mr Burnham's rise to power without a mandate from the British public – in spite of the latest Opinium polling putting the two parties level in public opinion at 24 per cent apiece.
Mr Farage said he is "ready" for a general election and stressed Mr Burnham had "no mandate on any policy".
"I think the public are tired of the game of musical chairs, and they deserve an election," he stated.
With Labour under Andy Burnham rising in polls, Mr Farage spoke on uniting the right of politics to mount a strong opposition ahead of any general election.
"It's pretty obvious Reform is the challenger, and I'd like them all (the Tories and Restore Britain) to unite around us. But we will see what happens between now and the next election."
"I don't trust the Conservatives", Mr Farage added, citing broken promises from the last 14-year stint in government.
Mr Farage said his party is the only one to recognise "Britain is broken" and "unless you understand how sick the patient is, you can't possibly begin to think about the cures that are needed".
