Andy Burnham accused of 'running scared' of Reform after cross-party talk snub: 'Uni-party in action!'

Andy Burnham has been accused of "running scared" from Reform UK after snubbing the party in cross-party talks on social care.

Speaking to GB News, Reform's Education spokeswoman Suella Braverman said the move emphasises the ongoing "uni-party" attitude in UK politics.

Mr Burnham extended his invitation to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, but failed to involve Nigel Farage.

Hitting back at the snub, the Reform leader said: "If Andy Burnham is serious about putting politics aside to solve Britain’s biggest problems, it’s remarkable that he’s chosen to ignore the party that led over 300 national opinion polls and represents thousands of councillors and millions of Britons across the country.

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"It’s now clear that Burnham is conspiring behind closed doors with the failed political establishment to foist further tax rises on the country.

"The fact Ed Davey and Kemi Badenoch are going along with this tells you all you need to know about their parties. This is the uni-party in action."

Taking aim at Mr Burnham, Mrs Braverman told GB News: "If ever we needed evidence of the cosy establishment and the uni-party in action, I think this would be it.

"We've got the Labour Party, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems all meeting together to decide on this policy of social care, running scared of the largest political party in Britain."

She argued: "Reform is the party that won the local elections, and the party that's been leading in 300 of the opinion polls, that's Reform and Nigel Farage.

"So I think that this is yet more evidence of the failed political establishment running scared of Reform and doing everything they can to keep power amongst themselves."

The Reform MP stressed that many of the party's voters are affected by social care, and Mr Farage is someone who "speaks for millions of people" as the party leader.

She said: "He's the leader of the party and the most well-known politician in the country after the Prime Minister. So I think that to dismiss and ignore Nigel Farage shows a real contempt to the British people actually.

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"Nigel and Reform speak for millions of people. Many of our voters are affected by social care, myself as an MP for the last decade, I've helped thousands of local people with heartbreaking cases involving elderly family members.

"It is something we need to fix, and I think that to snub Reform and Nigel in this way does show a disdain and a certain contempt for the people."

Throwing her support behind Mr Farage, Mrs Braverman said he was "absolutely right" to call a by-election in Clacton after being subject to "relentless attacks".

She explained: "I think Nigel made a very brave and noble decision to call a by-election in Clacton.

"Reform and Nigel in particular have been on the receiving end of establishment attacks, it's relentless. Every day there's some kind of unfounded, fabricated attack on Reform, and I think that Nigel was right to draw a line.

"Journalists were harassing his family members at their homes, and I think he was absolutely right to call a by-election and ask the people to decide. That's what we're in politics for, to represent the British people.

"And so he's absolutely right to have made this decision, and I'll be heading up to Clacton very soon to support him."

Offering her verdict on Zack Polanski's refusal to apologise to Mr Farage, Mrs Braverman said the decision "says more about him than it does about anyone else".

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