Burnham will not do 'special interviews' with Sun newspaper

Andy Burnham has told the BBC he will not do any "special interviews" with the Sun newspaper and spoke of his "responsibilities" to the Hillsborough families.

The prime minister said he would not go into his "precise media arrangements" after being asked to confirm previous reports that he was shunning the tabloid newspaper - but said his position had been "confirmed".

The Sun has been widely boycotted on Merseyside after the paper falsely blamed Liverpool fans for causing the 1989 stadium crush which killed 97 people.

As culture secretary, Burnham played a key role in creating the Hillsborough Independent Panel which absolved fans of blame for the disaster in 2012.

Speaking to BBC North West Tonight from his office in Number 10 North, Burnham was asked whether he would "give interviews to the Sun".

"I won't be doing any special interviews, no," he said.

Burnham said: "I've confirmed that.

"I, as you know, have worked over the years, and I take my responsibilities to the Hillsborough families and everybody who's been involved in the campaign.

"To be honest, I'm going to do my own communications. I don't want to work in the way that perhaps people have done in the past."

Burnham's predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, was criticised for penning opinion pieces for the tabloid despite saying he would not speak to the paper during his Labour leadership campaign.

Starmer defended his decision in 2023, arguing that as Labour leader he wanted to "communicate what I have to say to as many people as possible".

Burnham, who has written for other newspapers previously, was asked whether he would "write for the Sun".

"I'm not going to go into my precise media arrangements, but it's clear what my position is," he said.

When pressed, he said: "I won't be doing any special interviews, no."

The Sun, under then-editor Kelvin MacKenzie, provoked vitriol on Merseyside for its front page headlined "The Truth" days after the tragedy.

The report claimed "some fans" had attacked police officers trying to care for the victims and had even stolen from the dead.

Both assertions were categorically debunked by later investigations, including a second set of inquests that in 2016 concluded the 97 victims had been "unlawfully killed" due to police failings.

In 2012 The Sun offered a front page apology for its previous coverage of the disaster.

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