Tory class war against Burnham simply draws attention to their own privilege
The Sun has gone for Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham today over his not knowing the price of petrol.
But would the Tories fare any better?
When asked at a GMB conference in Dublin, the MP for Leigh said a litre of petrol cost £1.60, rather than £1.16, the average cost of unleaded petrol.
As you can see, this is a rather small error – the two numbers even sound similar.
But the Sun continues with the Tory attack-line de jour, accusing Burnham of being too left-wing and union-backed, but simultaneously a posh-boy hypocrite.
At the Dublin conference, the would-be Labour leaders were asked the cost of a TV licence, a prescription, the minimum wage, and the price of a loaf of bread.
What the Sun fails to mention is how its favourite Conservative politicians fare under similar questioning.
When Boris Johnson was asked in 2013 how much a pint of milk costs, his guess was off by 200 per cent. He told the BBC: “I don’t know how much a pint of milk costs. So what?”
Prime minister David Cameron, when asked a few weeks later, admitted that he did not know the price of a loaf of bread. He prefers to make his own bread with his very own breadmaking machine (starting price: £139).
As chancellor George Osborne raised VAT on hot takeaway food in 2012, he was at a loss to remember the last time he ate a pasty from Greggs bakery.
This is another case of the limits of Tory class war rhetoric. By attacking Labour MPs in this way, conservatives simply draw attention to their own privilege and ignorance of the lives of readers and voters.
Adam Barnett is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow MediaWatch on Twitter
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19 Responses to “Sun mocks ‘Red Andy’ on petrol price. But Cameron didn’t know the price of bread”
AlanGiles
If these stories mean anything it is that the Conseravtives and their press supporters are more frightend of Burnham than they are of Cooper or Kendall. I think Andy Burnham is more canny than Ed Miliband and will beat them at their own game – Miliband played into their hands (as did his clever brother -remember the banana?)
damon
Just for the record, Cameron was thrown by the nature of the question. His first answer was about right – over a pound I think he said, but the radio presenter was asking about the cheapest loaf you could get and he spoke of the Tesco Saver white sliced which is crap, and under 50p.
Cameron didn’t give that answer – and why should he? Everyone knows bread is up around a pound to a pound fifty. It depends on what you buy. You can get brown sliced for 75p in Saintsbury’s which is OK, or pay more for granery etc.
It was a trick question basicly.
MariaJTorres
tyuuu
Patrick Nelson
no they know “randy” as well, but they just haven’t found a suitable story yet.
Harold
What about his football team?