Labour leadership contenders make their case at health questions

The odd thing about the Labour leadership contest is that while it runs, two of the most different candidates, Liz Kendall and Andy Burnham, must work together in the Shadow Health team. Today they had a chance to show how well they perform in the Commons, speaking within minutes of one another at the first questions of the new Parliament.

Kendall asked about access to GPs, asking Jeremy Hunt why he had failed to meet his promises in this area. Her delivery was not particularly confident: she read her question and was nowhere near as forceful as Burnham, who came later. Hunt congratulated the Shadow Health Minister on her return to the frontbench, adding that ‘I know she hopes it will only be for a brief time’. He also referenced her quote about ‘what matters is what works’.

A little later, Burnham stood up to ask his question. It was a typical Burnham question: rather angry and forceful, but it also mocked Hunt, saying that he wanted to ‘commiserate with him on the financial position in the NHS he inherits from… himself’. The Commons laughed, but not nearly as much as it did when Hunt returned to the Dispatch Box to tease the two contenders a little more. The Health Secretary said:

‘Well can I welcome him to his place, we’ve seen many feisty disagreements on health policy, and that’s just the shadow health team, so perhaps he no longer believes his mantra about collaboration, not competition. But to answer his question… even though the shadow health minister we know has disagreed with that for some time…’

Hunt was deliberately drawing attention to the differences in policy between Burnham and Kendall, but what really stood out from this session was the difference in style. One of the great unknowns about Kendall is how well she would manage Prime Minister’s Questions, taking on someone who has just under 10 years of experience of this intense session. She has never led for a frontbench team at departmental questions, as Burnham has, let alone entered into the toughest of Commons contests that takes place on a Wednesday lunchtime.