Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham

Labour (Co-op) — Makerfield

Speaking in the House of Commons on 14 October 2026

Debate

Engagements

Contribution

I am glad that the right hon. Lady raised my comments, because it gives me an opportunity to say to the whole House how I intend to lead this country. We have lived through a decade of division, and we know that hostile actors have been seeking to interfere in our democratic process. That is a matter of fact. We need to call that out and look straight at it in a way that the Conservatives did not. I have a quote here from the right hon. Lady when she stood at this Dispatch Box when she was responsible for steering through the Elections Bill. She said: “I have not read the Russia report”.––[Official Report, Elections Public Bill Committee, 26 October 2021; c. 384.] They did not want to see it. They wanted to look in the other direction. I will not do that. I will draw a line. I will defend our democracy, and I will lead this country forward with positivity, unity and hope in the next decade.

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