Welcome to the Andy Burnham show: the Westminster frenzy sucking up the British media’s attention | Marina Hyde

By Marina Hyde · The Guardian Opinion

Despite Friday’s awful rail crash, it was the PM-in-waiting’s journey from Manchester to London that dominated the headlines Bogglingly, Andy Burnham didn’t even wait to become prime minister before organising yesterday’s ludicrous photo of him standing in Westminster Hall , backdropped by hundreds of fawning Labour MPs, like Dorothy surrounded by the munchkins. Or like the bit in Return of the Jedi where the detestably cutesy Ewoks worship C-3PO as a god. Actually, the Westminster Hall visual was even naffer than the Ewoks singing their abysmal Yub Nub song of triumph at the end of that movie. Maybe it’ll sell a lot of soft toys. Is there Andy Burnham merchandise yet? It feels as though it could be in the post. A decade ago, at the peak of the SNP’s powers, the party sold a whole diffusion line called the “ Nicola signature range ”, which included covetable items such as onesies, teddies and shopping bags, presumably ideal for filling with £2,600 salt and pepper grinders, or multiple gaming console gifts for any motorhome visitors. Continue reading...