Labour took a mauling in the European elections and while many party stalwarts took the opportunity to call for change and clarity of vision, Richard Burgon appears to have chosen a different tactic altogether.
The Leeds East MP was interviewed by the BBC twice on Monday and both times repeatedly refused to answer the most basic of questions.
Early this morning, Naga Munchetty asked: ”If I asked you if Labour was a Leave or Remain party, what would you tell me?”
Burgon replied: “We’re a party that wants to bring the country together, I don’t think that’s a message that was going to work well in a sort of proxy second referendum which the EU election turned into. I think at a General Election that will work well.”
A baffled Munchetty interrupted: “I don’t understand your answer. Are you a Remain or a Leave party?”
Burgon tried again, saying: “We’re a party that’s going to bring the country together. In the last General Election we said we’re going to respect and accept the referendum......” and it went on like this until he was basically cut off, without giving a straight answer.
A few hours later Burgon was posed another simple question by Nicky Campbell on Radio 5 Live – is Tom Watson plotting against Jeremy Corbyn?
This was in response to accusations from Unite union boss Len McCluskey on Sunday, that the deputy leader was a “poor imitation” of Machiavelli.
He added: “If he’s trying to turn Labour members against Corbyn and in his favour, then he’s going to lose disastrously.”
So, is Tom Watson plotting against Jeremy Corbyn? Over to you Richard.
As you can hear in the clip below, Burgon was asked this question four times and four times he failed to give an answer.
He said:
“Feelings are strong, strong words a re being used. What I think we need to do is move forward together and make clear that a no-deal Brexit would be...”
And:
“I’m sure Tom Watson’s doing what he thinks is correct, just as Len McCluskey, of course, is as well.”
And:
“I think that Tom Watson is expressing his opinion on what we should do.”
And:
“Tom Watson is putting forward his opinion on what we should do. Len McCluskey’s got a different opinion on that, that’s natural, that’s no to be unexpected.”
The Labour MP’s performances drew widespread mockery on social media, with Piers Morgan saying he is in “an idiocy class of his own”.
And this more thoughtful response.
Oh, and this.
Burgon has made headlines on a number of occasions recently. Last month newly unearthed video showed him saying “Zionism is the enemy of peace” despite his repeated claims to the contrary in an interview on the BBC last year.
He then doubled-down on the claim in an interview with Emma Barnett.