Andy Burnham says he will not give The Sun “special interviews”, citing responsibilities to Hillsborough families. The prime minister did not clarify wider media plans, including whether he would write for the paper, and said he would handle his own communications.
The Sun has been widely boycotted on Merseyside since its coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster falsely blamed Liverpool fans for the crush that killed 97 people. Later investigations debunked claims that fans attacked police or stole from victims; 2016 inquests concluded the victims were unlawfully killed due to police failings. Burnham helped establish the Hillsborough Independent Panel, which absolved fans of blame in 2012.
Burnham’s predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, was criticised for writing opinion pieces for The Sun despite saying during his Labour leadership campaign that he would not speak to the paper. In 2023, Starmer defended the pieces, saying he wanted to communicate with as many people as possible.
