MP Esther McVey scorched Prime Minister Andy Burnham's PMQs (Prime Minister's Questions) performance after his first two sessions. There was no scheduled PMQs on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, as Parliament entered into recess for the autumn party conferences.
'There will be no PMQs today, for which Andy Burnham must be relieved and the nation should be grateful,' McVey shared on social media. 'He's a dud at the despatch box. His last two performances have been a car crash and caused gaffes that required immediate corrections and clarifications from Number 10.'
There will be no PMQs today, for which Andy Burnham must be relieved and the nation should be grateful.
— Esther McVey (@EstherMcVey1) September 16, 2026
He’s a dud at the despatch box.
His last two performances have been a car crash and caused gaffes that required immediate corrections and clarifications from Number 10.…
The remarks came as Burnham faced scrutiny over his early performances as prime minister, with McVey using the parliamentary break to renew her criticism of his leadership.
Backlash on McVey's Comments
McVey received some heavy backlash from social media users, as Burnham's father, Roy, died on Monday, 14 September 2026. Councillor Lauren Davison (Stoke-on-Trent City Council) urged the MP to have some respect.
Have a bit of bloody respect. https://t.co/bwFkPjFwhx
— Cllr Lauren Davison 🌹🍒🐆 (@CllrDavison) September 16, 2026
Businesswoman and presenter Michelle Dewberry also cautioned McVey against using this time to 'score political points.' Some social media users had harsher words against McVey.
Why on earth would you wish to use the tragic death of a much loved father, to try and score political points 🤯 https://t.co/Elo4BE0sZB
— Michelle Dewberry (@MichelleDewbs) September 16, 2026
Just five minutes after McVey shared her sharp criticism against Burnham on X, the prime minister thanked people for sending their condolences: 'We are grateful to everyone who has shared a kind message about my dad, particularly the leaders of the other parties. My family and I have been helped through this difficult time by people's warmth and compassion. It means a great deal to us and we wanted to say thank you.'
We are grateful to everyone who has shared a kind message about my dad, particularly the leaders of the other parties.
— Andy Burnham (@andyburnham) September 16, 2026
My family and I have been helped though this difficult time by people’s warmth and compassion. It means a great deal to us and we wanted to say thank you.
Why McVey Is Criticising Burnham
McVey raised multiple criticisms against Burnham's leadership and his performance during PMQs. She chided the PM for prioritising welfare spending when there was a supposed 'long-standing consensus' to prioritise national security and defence.
Andy Burnham at PMQs today confirming Labour is the party of benefits.
— Esther McVey (@EstherMcVey1) September 9, 2026
Too weak to cut benefits to pay for defence. pic.twitter.com/n04aMh0MAE
Further, the MP for Tatton bashed Burnham's choice of colourful words in his speeches and PMQ answers, mentioning the phrases: 'hope in every heart' and 'growth in every postcode.' She believes Burnham is merely currying favour with his left-wing supporters.
'Saying such a thing may well have pleased the student union politics societies, but we do actually expect Prime Ministers to have the steel and the gravitas to stand up for the national interest and take on the left-wing extremists,' McVey also said.
'Error-Prone' Burnham
McVey also pointed out Burnham's 'error-strewn' PMQs performance, including how he admitted he 'misspoke' when he equated the Scottish independence referendum to the border poll in Northern Ireland.
She also noted that Burnham said in one of the PMQs that the government would hit the target spending on defence pegged at 3% of GDP by 2030. Number 10 had to clarify that the PM was referring to the government's commitment to reach 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
'The Prime Minister's error-strewn performances have many of his backbenchers belatedly realising they have backed a loser. His inability to prepare or even to take PMQs seriously has got them nervous,' said McVey.
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The MP also turned personal, criticising Burnham's 'nice-guy' image, ego and losses in previous leadership elections. 'But what's clear for all to see, Burnham is a disaster at the despatch box,' McVey ended her lengthy social media post.
