"Westminster insiders do not get a licence to lie, said Andy Burnham on Thursday, in an angry swipe at the political briefing culture in the House of Commons. After a week of political antagonism over the Labour party's national executive committee's decision to block Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton byelection next month, the Manchester mayor said he would call out liars in Westminster in the aftermath of the dispute."
"On Tuesday Burnham accused Downing Street sources of lying, after an unnamed Starmer ally briefed that he had been told in no uncertain terms that any request to the NEC committee to put his name forward for the byelection would be refused. A No 10 spokesperson denied that anyone close to Starmer had told Burnham the NEC would refuse his application."
"Some of these people are paid by the public purse, but in my view, anybody paid by the public purse does not get licence to lie. He added: In the aftermath of all of this, I'm not going to be bitter, and I'm going to be out there campaigning in the byelection, but I am going to call that one thing out."
Andy Burnham criticised Westminster briefing culture after the Labour NEC blocked his bid to stand in the Gorton and Denton byelection. Burnham said he had observed people who feel free to tell damaging stories to the media to denigrate character and impugn integrity. He accused unnamed Downing Street sources of lying after a Starmer ally briefed that the NEC would refuse any request to put his name forward, a claim No 10 denied. Burnham highlighted anonymous "stop Wes" briefings and argued public servants should not get a licence to lie. He praised Starmer for backing a Hillsborough duty of candour law and said he would still campaign in the byelection.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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