Burnham must show he has the spine to overrule Whitehall Blob that backs criminals, illegal migrants and the feckless

Burnham v Blob IT’S getting the right outcome that matters, so we welcome Andy Burnham’s belated determination to keep the killers of hero PC Andrew Harper behind bars. We still don’t know how he’s going to do it — and nor does he, apparently. So nothing can be taken for granted. Prime Minister Andy Burnham needs to show he’s got the spine to order the Whitehall Blob to do the right thing at the first time of asking Credit: Getty Burnham faced a furious backlash after first saying PC Andrew Harper’s killers would have to be freed, only to U-turn as nearly a million people signed a petition demanding they stay behind bars Credit: PA But the penny finally appears to have dropped that it would be a disgusting insult to Andrew’s family and colleagues if remorseless thugs Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers walk free. This does not forgive the confusion which has been sown. Indeed, Andrew’s grieving mum yesterday said the process had left her “twisted inside”. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! First, Burnham ordered a review of Labour’s diabolical early release scheme when it emerged PC Harper’s killers would be included — raising hopes of an early U-turn. Then, blindly taking the word of no-can-do officialdom, he last week concluded he would have to let them go after all — but wished he could do more. READ MORE FROM THE SUN SAYS Cue massive public outrage and nearly one million people signing a petition — which, by the way, is 40 TIMES more than have voted for our new Messiah-without-a-mandate PM. Over the past seven days, Number Ten has lurched about calamitously as unaccountable Whitehall officials claimed it was all too difficult. Just on Monday, Downing Street officially insisted it was “not possible” to exempt just one or two offenders. Then, yesterday, came the collapse into basic moral decency and common sense, as Burnham said he was “increasingly confident” Cole and Bowers will now be kept locked up. Most read in The Sun Which brings us to a wider, deeply worrying point. Being PM — a job Burnham spent years plotting to get — is hard. It’s not enough to be affable and have a workable knowledge of pub snacks. Many officials are utterly wet and useless. The State “Blob” will always take the side of criminals, illegal migrants, the feckless and the wokerati given half a chance. Burnham needs to show he’s got the spine to order them to do the right thing at the FIRST time of asking. Is he up to it? Trading insults WHAT is Labour’s answer to the closure of 17,000 High Street shops this year? Yes, rogue vape and barber shops are a blight. But what Andy Burnham fails to understand is that they only exist because criminal gangs have swooped to exploit Labour’s strangling of genuine retailers. Business rates for independent stores have soared, while National Insurance and minimum wage rises make hiring staff impossibly expensive. Ideologically driven parking charges and restrictions choke demand further. Unless Burnham makes it easier for legitimate traders to survive, none of his tinkering will make any difference. 1 comment1