When Martin Freeman endorsed Labour ahead of the election, his credentials were called into question after Steerpike reported that Freeman was a former supporter of Arthur Scargill’s far-left Socialist party. So Mr S was curious to hear Burnham last night reveal his own admiration for Scargill – who formed the Socialist party because he was so angry that Labour had ‘abandoned any pretence of being a socialist party’.
As the Tories raised a glass to Lynton Crosby at the election strategist’s bash in Kensington, the Labour leadership hopeful was across town setting out his brand of self-titled ‘aspirational socialism’ over at Soho House, the £1400 private members’ club. During the talk, Burnham – who has been accused of leaning more to the left this week, in an attempt to win the second preference of Jeremy Corbyn backers – took questions from the audience about his favourite authors from his time studying English at Cambridge:
‘I read some Dickens, there’s an understated humour.
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