Andy Burnham’s reply when asked a question about farming at the Dispatch Box this week was shocking. ‘I'm probably not renowned for spending much time on farms. I'm more likely to be found in the northern quarter of Manchester’ I couldn’t believe the Prime Minister of a country -... especially one wanting growth in every postcode - would know so little about farming particularly given the battering the farming sector has taken over the last few years what with Labour’s family farm tax, the rise in energy prices and fuel and fertiliser costs, the impact the bad weather has had, and now with the bluetongue outbreak and the lack of vaccines. His staggering answer confirmed what we already knew. Labour knows nothing about farming & rural life & cares very little about it too - if it did - it would never have brought in the family farm tax.show more

What is shameful is the pride he takes in his ignorance of farming as though it’s cool. Without farms we starve. Is that clear enough for him? Yes we can import, but we shouldn’t have to. And we no longer have a navy able to protect the sea lanes that deliver imported food.

And he does have some farms in his Constituency! Shows how little intrest he shows in Makerfield. Interestingly he says he spends more time in the Northern Quarter in Manchester! Miles away from Makerfield!

He's not interested in the country or the indigenous people, just power, taxing and lining his own pocket...traitor and worse than Starmer

@JeremyClarkson and his Clarkson's Farm show has shown us all the problems famers go through to produce food for us. Weather, costs, hours spent with land and animals. All for pittance and too much bureaucracy. Yet still the love what they do.... 🐑🐐🐄🌾

It just means he doesn’t have an overview or understand what a leader should do

It’s quite sickening how his whole focus is on Manchester

First we had “ my father was a toolmaker” as a constant refrain, now it’s “ let me tell you about my time in Manchester as Mayor” from bus pass Burnham.

There is so little expertise among Burn'em's Labour colleagues that he can't even draw on them when he himself is so lacking in depth of knowledge and leadership skills.

This is Shocking but let’s pretend it never happened and Tories are on the side of farmers #r4today

Labour don’t know anything about most subjects, especially business.i

Not surprised you don’t like politicians being honest.

#ToryCorruption

If he ever ate anything in the Northern Quarter - Pieminister perhaps? - chances are at least some if not all of it will have been sourced from a farm. Hasn't been long, but I'm already convinced he's going to be a disaster - even worse than the last one.

Are you insane - the PM basically said he was not an expert on farming and you criticise him for being honest?

Burnham and his useless incompetent corrupt government are utterly clueless about most things. They're liars and traitors to the indigenous white British people. They especially hate farmers 😡😡😡

Typical Student bar politician who’s never had a job the real world! !

The Tories shafted UK farmers with brexit.

Do you remember the battering you lot gave farmers after Brexit . I didn’t you’d remember but it doesn’t stop you trying for the pathetic gotcha . Also there is no such thing as family farm tax .

Sounds like the PM needs to have a long chat with Rupert Lowe!

There’s no such thing as a “Family Farm Tax”. Are you referring to Estate Duty, a tax which farmers pay at half the rate as the rest of us and which they have ten more years to pay than we do?

@anaboultertv And just why did he think he was amusing 😡

He’s a Cambridge educated privileged moron who’s spent the majority of his life in Westminster. Why doesn’t he shut up with this performative northerner garbage

Burnham body bags, will encourage what all football supporters called Starmer…his honeymoon is well and truly over… just for good measure he hasn’t a clue about rural life… out his depth and as thick as Ange!!!

He's as dumb as they come.

Also shows how completely unsuited he is to be PM. Admitting ignorance can be a virtue but this is just ridiculous

Keir Starmer looked much more intelligent and capable than he was but Andy B has the good grace to appear much as the through and through rather cocky twerp that he is. A kind of integrity even.

@andyburnham really too obtuse and dim to understand that without farming there is no Northern Quarter in Manchester. There's no Deansgate, no Canal Street, no Spinningfields. There's no Manchester. What a low calibre ignoramus. The UK has a mediocre Parish Councillor as PM.

His man-child humour is inappropriate. He needs to get a grip of the real issues.

Esther. You’re a chancer. Care to put this in its total context?

@tiffanyrex Like a-lot of people, bet he thinks food comes from supermarkets!

He’s a classic bourgeoisie metro socialist

He knows more about honesty than you!

Total disregard to farmers. He could go and spend a day with a dairy farm and would soon have an understanding. The same with the NHS, schools etc.