Belt and braces PM: what wearing suit braces says about Burnham

Andy Burnham wears braces (just about visible) on his visit to Ilkeston in Derbyshire. ‘This stuff is simply what he wears,’ said one insider. Photograph: Toby Shepheard/Reuters

The sartorial evolution of Andy Burnham reached another milestone this week when the prime minister appeared at a photocall in Derbyshire wearing a pair of braces under his suit.

Navy, slimline and button-on rather than clipped, they were barely visible while he posed for a photo in Ilkeston. It was only when he unbuttoned his suit jacket to embrace members of the public that they were on view.