GB News star banned from asking Andy Burnham question as 'wannabe PM' takes swipe at Kemi Badenoch

GB News star Martin Daubney was banned from asking Andy Burnham a question as the Makerfield MP is currently fielding questions from Reddit users.

The likely Prime Minister in waiting is currently answering questions from users of the social media site on its /r/ukpolitics page.

However, the page's moderators banned Martin after asking a series of questions, including one about calling a general election, the deportation of grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed and if the former Greater Manchester Mayor would take the UK back into the European Union.

Martin said: "They BANNED my account within two hours – for "Rule 1: Hate' What is hateful about my Qs?! Utter woke nonsense!"

Also asking a question was Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch who asked: "Whilst you’re answering softball questions on Reddit, I’ve been in Yorkshire answering questions from the press.

"You’re going to be Prime Minister soon so it’s time to start acting like one.

"Come out from hiding, face a proper press conference and submit yourself to scrutiny and some tough questions. Are you up for it?"

Mr Burnham responded: "Fair challenge, Kemi - but don’t forget it’s only two weeks since I faced questions from 74,000 members of the public in Makerfield!"

Andy Burnham has said it is "important" to continue the Labour manifesto commitment to maintain the triple lock on the state pension.

The Makerfield MP was asked: "Is it time to abolish the triple lock? Or at least have that discussion?"

Mr Burnham replied: "I appreciate there’s a lot of debate about this but it is important that the commitment in the manifesto stands."

Labour’s manifesto commitment to the triple lock protects the rate at which the state pension rises.

Dale Vince, the green energy entrepreneur behind Ecotricity and prominent Labour backer, has launched a scathing attack on Ed Miliband.

He declared that the Energy Secretary is responsible for making Net Zero "politically toxic".

The businessman, who has donated £5million to the party, branded Mr Miliband unsuitable for the role of Chancellor and accused him of putting ideology ahead of sound economics.

Mr Vince questioned whether the Energy Secretary even had a basic understanding of value for money.

Andy Burnham faced questions about how he would deal with foreign policy as Prime Minister as he took part in a Reddit ask me anything session.

Asked if he would provide the same level of support as Sir Keir Starmer had shown for Ukraine, Mr Burnham replied: "Yes 100 per cent"

He was asked by another user if he would continue with the Government’s attempts to reset the relationship with Europe, including whether he saw "scope for negotiating a more ambitious trade agreement than the one we currently have?"

He replied: "Yes, I will build on the good work the Government has already done in this area."

Andy Burnham has said HS2 "got off to the wrong start" as he said he was confronted bu "remote bureaucracy".

The Makerfield MP said: "One of the salutary lessons of HS2 is the risk of delivering a major project from an office in Whitehall without listening to the people whose areas it will affect.

"I remember when HS2 was first proposed there was a chorus of voices from the North who said that building should start there rather than in London. This was ignored and got the project off to the wrong start.

"It never recovered as I spent 10 years as Mayor of Greater Manchester arguing for what we believed was the right design to support maximum growth in the city region but we were confronted by a remote bureaucracy which always wanted to cut costs.

"Hence we were never able to agree and the project became bogged down in costly delays.

"We need to learn from history and go back to the building of the first commuter railway in the world between Liverpool and Manchester 200 years ago, which was a much more bottom-up endeavour."

In the Reddit Q&A session, Andy Burnham revealed his favourite films are Goodfellas, The Big Short, Brassed Off and Pride.

He also said "I’ve been stuck in a Doves phase for quite a while", in reference to the Wilmslow-based indie band.

Andy Burnham has confirmed he would do deals with countries including Afghanistan over refugees who have had asylum claims rejected.

When asked: "Are you prepared to negotiate return agreements with countries like Afghanistan for refugees who have had their asylum claims rejected? Particularly those who have committed serious and violent crimes?", the Makerfield MP said: "Yes."

The Makerfield MP said: "The country has had 10 years of political turbulence since the Brexit referendum, and simply carrying on with more of the same is not going to lift us out of that rut.

"A new approach is needed that is less about point-scoring and more about problem-solving, and that is the difference that I intend to bring.

"I do not want to see the Whip system used to close down debate or to create a climate of fear. I want MPs to be free to be authentic representatives of their communities."

Andy Burnham has responded to a "fair challenge" from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who called for the Makerfield MP to face questions from the press.

Mrs Badenoch said: "Whilst you’re answering softball questions on Reddit, I’ve been in Yorkshire answering questions from the press. You’re going to be Prime Minister soon so it’s time to start acting like one.

"Come out from hiding, face a proper press conference and submit yourself to scrutiny and some tough questions. Are you up for it?"

Mr Burnham responded saying: "Fair challenge, Kemi - but don’t forget it’s only two weeks since I faced questions from 74,000 members of the public in Makerfield!"

Andy Burnham has ruled out calling an early general election, should he become the next Prime Minister.

When asked "I assume you're going to call an election? If not why not?", the Makerfield MP said: "As I said in my speech on Monday, I’m going to work to the 2024 manifesto."

Andy Burnham has said he wants to increase work placements and apprenticeships in order to tackle the youth employment crisis.

The Makerfield MP said: "I’ve talked to my son a lot about this and I realise sending applications without responses can be quite soul-destroying for young people.

"I also dislike the modern trend of only offering interviews on Teams or Zoom as I don’t think that enables young people to get their personality and passion over.

"On the back of the Milburn report, we need a significant change in the way we support young people.

"We do need fairer recruitment processes, as well working with employers to increase the supply of work placements, apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships."

Andy Burnham has responded to a question about this week's much anticipated Defence Investment Plan.

The Makerfield MP said: "The world is changing fast and the challenges are multiplying.

"The Defence Investment Plan represents a step change in Britain’s response to this new reality and I will ensure that it is fully funded."

Andy Burnham has said he wants a "collaborative and pragmatic" relationship with the Welsh and Scottish parliaments.

Answering a question from a Reddit user, the Makerfield MP said: "I want the same offer to power up places to be available in all parts of the UK.

"I will speak soon to First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to agree a positive way of working to this end."

Andy Burnham says he plans to "free up London" in a answer to a question about devolution and "Downing Street North" plans.

The Makerfield MP said: "As I said in my speech on Monday, I want to free up London with even greater devolved powers so it can go to the next level and maintain its status as the world’s greatest capital city.

"This could include powers over education, skills and housing and more fiscal devolution.

"Downing Street North will be at the service of London and the South East in helping it take powers out of Whitehall, in exactly the same way as it will help the North."

Andy Burnham is currently answering questions from users of the /r/ukpolitics forum on social media website Reddit.

We'll be keeping an eye on the Makerfield MP's answers and bring you the key moments as they happen here on the live blog.

Andy Burnham is eyeing up billions of pounds in tax relief to young people as the Prime Minister in waiting aims to woo Gen Z voters.

Allies of the Makerfield MP have suggested the likely next Prime Minister would introduce plans exempting young people from paying income tax for the first three years of full-time employment.

One Labour MP close to Mr Burnham told The Independent: "He is going to be a major offer to young people looking at education, employment, tax, public transport, rent to buy, helping them through their lives."

Another close ally said: "He has discussed an income tax exemption for the first three years of employment to help young people save for a deposit for a mortgage.

"It is the sort of imaginative idea he considers to look at how we can do things differently, to try and deal with the problems which nobody seems willing to solve.

“Obviously one of the issues about accessing mortgages is that many young people just cannot save for a deposit to get one. This could help break the logjam."

The Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion in Parliament for England captain Harry Kane to be knighted.

The motion, put forward by Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon Layla Moran, says the Bayern Munich striker should be rewarded for his "World Cup heroics".

Ms Moran said: "Harry Kane has shown inspirational leadership and character on and off the pitch - championing the very values that make our country so great.

"If Andy Burnham wants to kick off his premiership on the right foot he should back my campaign. This is about bringing the country together. I hope every England fan encourages their MP to sign!

"Let’s get behind the lads for Mexico on Monday, and let's make sure Harry Kane comes home not just with the trophy, but with a well-deserved knighthood."

Downing Street indicated it would continue to use X despite the Culture Secretary’s decision to take her department off the platform.

Lisa Nandy announced she and the Department for Culture, Media and Spot (DCMS) would leave the Elon Musk-owned platform on Thursday, saying it “favours abuse and misinformation".

Asked about her decision on Friday, a spokeswoman for No10 said it was up to individual ministers and their departments whether they continued to use the platform.

The spokeswoman said No 10 kept its use of social media "under review", but gave no indication the Prime Minister would be following Ms Nandy in leaving X.

She added: "It is for individual departments to decide what is right for them in this regard.

"Our full focus remains on making sure X is following the law, cleaning up its act and ensuring it is safe for women, girls, children and people right across the country."

New-build should "never house asylum seekers", the Home Office has said, amid a row over a proposed "migrant street" in Shropshire.

A Home Office spokesman said: "New homes should never house asylum seekers.

"The Home Secretary has directly intervened to stop migrants being moved into the Stoke Heath development and no asylum seekers remain on site.

"Earlier this year, the Home Secretary introduced robust processes to ensure new-build sites can never be considered again."

Andy Burnham's ex-adviser has accused Sir Keir Starmer of being "out of touch with reality" over his last-minute decision to allow pubs to stay open into the early hours for England's World Cup match.

Sacha Lord, who served as Greater Manchester's first-ever Night Time Economy Adviser during Mr Burnham's time as Mayor, took aim at the Labour's treatment of the hospitality sector.

Yesterday, Sir Keir confirmed that pubs are permitted to remain open until 5am on Monday, July 6, with the game kicking off at 1am UK time.

Despite this decision, some of Britain's biggest pub groups have revealed only a certain number of their sites will be able to remain open for the match.

Labour's General Secretary has set out her timetable for departure with boss Sir Keir Starmer due to step down in a few weeks' time.

Hollie Ridley said she would step aside from the top job after the party's Autumn Conference.

Her departure will coincide with a new leader after she was appointed to the position by the outgoing Prime Minister.

Andy Burnham is set to face an online grilling by the British public - but has stopped short of ensuring full scrutiny by picking and choosing the questions he will answer.

On Monday, the Labour leadership hopeful fell under fire for refusing to answer questions from furious lobby journalists following his first major speech as Makerfield MP.

After outlining his 10-year plan for No10, he sneaked out the backdoor of the People's History Museum in Manchester to dodge engaging with reporters.

And, later today, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester will be delivering much of the same in his "Ask Me Anything (AMA)" session, answering questions on social media website Reddit, where he and his team can select their preferred queries.

He will take questions directly from the 453,000 weekly readers of the r/UKPolitics sub-reddit, along with some of his 141,000 Instagram followers.

Many have accused Mr Burnham of potentially becoming Prime Minister without having faced the wrath of the media over policy issues which is normally delivered during general election campaigns.

It is feared the MP could be catapulted into No10 without a proper grilling and could trigger further calls for a snap national contest.

Andy Burnham is set to tell his Chancellor that they should split their time between No11 and the North as part of his "devolution revolution".

"Imagine if the Chancellor spent part of their working week based outside London. It would change their perspective," one source told the Telegraph.

Mr Burnham said he plans to spend at least one day in Manchester while Prime Minister.

Rishi Sunak, while Chancellor, drew up plans to send civil servants up to the north east in Darlington as part of the Tories' levelling-up agenda.

Andy Burnham has said he is feeling "really buoyed up" ahead of his public grilling as the Makerfield MP returned to his home in Warrington.

He said: "I'm feeling really buoyed up by the generous reaction to the speech I made earlier this week. It seems people do want a new direction in politics, a new way of doing things.

"More doing, less arguing. More power put into places like this."

He announced he would set out further details about his devolution plan "in the coming days".

Allies of the former Prime Minister have teased Boris Johnson could return to Westminster politics in a bombshell comeback.

One insider source claimed they could "see him campaigning properly at the next election".

Andy Burnham has dismissed the prospect of "crude" reductions to welfare spending while signalling that tax increases may be necessary to finance his policy agenda.

Earlier today, the likely incoming prime minister rejected what he termed "crude cuts" to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit payments.

When pressed on whether Labour's manifesto commitments and fiscal framework would remain intact, Mr Burnham confirmed they would, though he noted there remained "some room within that manifesto for movement on tax".

The former Greater Manchester mayor, who could enter Downing Street as early as July 20, insisted he maintained discipline on public finances despite accusations that his plans would necessitate higher taxation.

Sir Keir Starmer has been facing mounting pressure to change the law to fast-track the deportation of a Pakistani child rapist.

Shabir Ahmed, who was ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang, was convicted of 30 child rape offences.

Despite being sentenced to more than two decades behind bars, he was allowed to walk free yesterday.

Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, and Jim McMahon, the Labour MP for Oldham, have demanded Labour search "every available avenue" to deport the criminal.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister asked Shabana Mahmood to see "what can be done" to deport the child rapist.

Andy Burnham's online grilling - where he will be able to pick and choose which questions he answers - will take place later this afternoon.

He beckoned his followers to join him on Reddit at 5pm for an "Ask Me Anything" session.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has quit X with a parting shot at so-called "misinformation" on the platform.

The Labour minister announced her decision in her final of more than 10,000 posts on Elon Musk's social media site, adding that her department would also be leaving.

Ms Nandy wrote: "A platform originally designed for free speech and expression now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate.

"It isn't healthy for our democracy or our communities and I don’t want to support it."

DCMS is the second department to leave the platform in a matter of days, after Lord Hermer told the Attorney General's Office to leave X over "racism and misogyny".