𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

They say Emperor Nero fiddled as Rome burned – but while indecisive PM Sir Keir Starmer flipped, successor Andy Burnham has just flopped. Sir Keir Starmer was brutally exposed as the arch flip-flopper after a series of humiliating U-turns when prime minister, such as on National Insurance, benefit cuts, winter fuel payments and even the definition of ‘what is a woman’.

But if Sir Keir was the colonel-in-chief of U-turns, Andy Burnham is giving the impression he could end up the field marshal of flip-flops – by performing an astounding flip-flop-flip. And if anything proves right the critics of the newly unelected PM who say he’s just a nice-guy people pleaser, it has to be the farce that is his narrative on the ongoing Manchester City cheating crisis.

First we must acknowledge two things: Burnham’s an Evertonian, and Everton were docked points for breaching Premier League spending rules, but he was also Mayor of Greater Manchester as money from Abu Dhabi developed swathes of land in east Manchester by City’s stadium.

In fact it could be argued that Burnham’s glittering image as mayor owes plenty to the success of the huge investment in the city by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group from 2008 onwards.

When Mayor, Burnham boasted Manchester City as a trophy-winning brand he could use to ‘sell’ his city around the world to potential investors.

Now as PM, Burnham has the Premier League as an attractive brand in his pocket when travelling the globe to sell Great Britain as a brilliant country to invest in.

Undermining the Premier League would be disastrous to that sales pitch. Yet that’s exactly what Burnham did this week as he flipped, flopped, and then flipped again on a subject he shouldn’t have spoken about in the first place.

First came the shocking flip.

On Wednesday – when asked by the BBC if he was worried City’s Abu Dhabi’s owners may sell up now the club’s been found guilty of cheating by an independent panel – Burnham said: “Well, I would be really concerned to lose them. They’ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester.

“I can’t intervene more in the process. It would be wrong for me to do that.

“It would be wrong, I think, to jump to a conclusion before having really studied all of the detail, but obviously it’s ongoing, and because it’s still contested by Manchester City, then I think it’s right that I don’t say much more.”

Then appearing to offer sympathy to the cheating club he added: “I remember people proclaiming Everton guilty at the time and, with hindsight, I think more people would say that wasn’t fair the way that was handled.”

Let’s take that apart. First he is worried Manchester might lose Abu Dhabi’s cash; secondly, he says he can’t intervene “more” – so has he already tried to wade in behind the scenes?

But, crucially, and no doubt to the fury of the Premier League, he appears to imply the independent panel’s guilty verdicts are questionable by saying “it’s ongoing and still contested by Manchester City” – and offer City his sympathy by discussing what happened to Everton.

How is he helping matters if the PM himself is appearing to publicly question the panel’s ruling?

On Thursday, 10 Downing Street were back-pedalling so to clarify Burnham’s position they said: “As the prime minister made clear, the initial judgement is serious and there can’t be any suggestion that anyone is above the rules.

“He also stressed that it is an ongoing independent process. It is essential that it is allowed to run its course and the outcome respected.

“If wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the appropriate consequences.”

Look at the first word in that statement’s last sentence – “if”.

“If”? Wrongdoing HAS been established after a three-year case and months of evidence!

Next came the flip-flop-flip.

An hour after that Thursday statement came ANOTHER clarification and the statement was re-issued but “If” became “wherever.”

What a farce. Why did he stick his nose in in the first place?

It’s ironic that a man who has spent most of this year avoiding tough media questions, and only speaking to friendly outlets, should open up to the BBC and make a complete mess of it all.

Maybe this is why he has been shielded from media scrutiny – because he’s not cut out for the big job?

Andy Burnham is starting to look like a second-rate Keir Starmer already.