Trade union delegates boo Labour leader candidate Andy Burnham in Dublin
Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham faced a tough crowd in Dublin yesterday, where he was booed by trade union delegates.
Burnham – who is widely seen as the favourite in a field that includes Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall, Mary Creagh and Jeremy Corbyn – was participating in a GMB hustings event with his fellow candidates when he was asked if he supported Tory proposals to lower the benefits cap from £26,000 to £23,000.The moderator asked each of the candidates to give a “yes” or “no” answer as to whether they backed the Tory plan. When Burnham refused, the audience booed.
Burnham ultimately only replied: “In principle, it’s not right that people on benefits get more than they are likely to earn in a lifetime.”