Jeremy Vine has warned fellow BBC Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay to stop 'name-dropping' Andy Burnham, who is set to become Prime Minister on Monday July 20. Following his return to the House of Commons after winning the Makerfield by-election last month, Burnham is now poised to lead the country.
Andy Burnham's Manchesterism and No. 10 North
A cornerstone of Burnham's political philosophy is 'Manchesterism'. He has pledged to relocate at least part of the Prime Minister's office to a proposed 'No. 10 North' in Manchester. This move mirrors a comparable initiative from the BBC, which bases numerous programmes in Salford, Greater Manchester. Presenters including Sara Cox, Mark Radcliffe and, naturally, Vernon Kay all hail from Bolton, in Greater Manchester - strengthening the region's presence on Radio 2.
Jeremy Vine's Warning to Vernon Kay
However, Vernon Kay needs to play down his connections to the incoming Prime Minister, according to BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine. Appearing on Vernon's Radio 2 programme, Jeremy cautioned: 'You're going to have to stop saying you've met [Andy Burnham] once, because he's going to be Prime Minister. It'll sound like name-dropping.'
Vernon Kay's Past Socialising with Burnham
Vernon, 52, has previously spoken about socialising with the former Manchester mayor during their younger years. He described Burnham as a 'nice bloke', adding: 'I've got lots of mutual friends with Andy Burnham. I know him quite well.' Prior to Burnham's return to the House of Commons, Vernon and Jeremy had speculated about his potential future as Labour leader. When questioned about whether he might receive an invitation to Chequers - the Prime Minister's countryside retreat - Vernon responded: 'I've been there before. Maybe go again.'
Vernon's Closing Thoughts on Burnham
Sharing his closing thoughts on Burnham, Vernon said: 'Nice bloke, that's all I can say. You've never been around Leigh on a Friday night or a Saturday night with him. That's my reference.' Jeremy went on to say 'nice doesn't always cut it', to which Vernon replied: 'It does on a night out though Jeremy, with your mates.' Asked if he'd enjoyed a beer with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Vernon added: 'Back in the day. Before politics.'
Burnham's Political Career
Before taking up his role as Manchester's mayor, Burnham served as MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester, holding numerous Cabinet positions, including a stint as Secretary of State for Health from 2009 to 2010 under Gordon Brown. Following Labour's crushing defeat to David Cameron's Conservative Party in 2015, Burnham declared his intention to contest the Labour leadership, pledging to bring together both the party and the country while seeking to 'rediscover the beating heart of Labour.' After losing the contest, he subsequently confirmed that Greater Manchester party officials had approached him, requesting he step down from Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet to pursue the forthcoming mayoral election in 2017.
Manchesterism Spreads to the UK
Storming to victory in May of that year, Burnham began laying the foundations for 'Manchesterism', which now appears poised to spread throughout the UK - and even as far as the BBC's Salford studios.
