Julia Hartley-Brewer trolled Andy Burnham’s tears for his dad and was magnificently owned into next year

Talk TV-er and various other things besides Julia Hartley-Brewer has had her say on Andy Burnham’s first Labour conference speech as prime minister, and to no-one’s great surprise anywhere she didn’t like it.

But you might not guess why, after she took great exception to the PM briefly tearing up over the memory of his father who died earlier this month.

I will build the Britain my dad wanted to see. pic.twitter.com/eTxp41wNlS

— Andy Burnham (@andyburnham) September 29, 2026

And this is what Hartley-Brewer had to say.

Why on earth do people want a Prime Minister who does emotion? I'm really sorry Andy Burnham's dad has died but that can't be the basis for every sodding government policy.

This country doesn't need emotion, it needs some sensible policies.

Sure, Andy Burnham talked about…

— Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) September 29, 2026

‘Why on earth do people want a Prime Minister who does emotion? I’m really sorry Andy Burnham’s dad has died but that can’t be the basis for every sodding government policy.

‘This country doesn’t need emotion, it needs some sensible policies.

‘Sure, Andy Burnham talked about lots of policies in his speech. But most of them are trivial or will damage the economy – and he won’t ever actually do most of them anyway. It’s mostly long grass stuff that he’ll drop when the going gets tough.

‘Yet so many people on X and media commentators will be full of praise for an emotional speech from an emotional Prime Minister who has yet to do anything that suggests he is even vaguely up to the job.’

And we’re glad she did, in a way, because she ended up magnificently owned into next year and beyond.