The Clarkson’s Farm star launched a scathing attack on the prime minister.
Jeremy Clarkson has ripped into Andy Burnham
Jeremy Clarkson has taken aim at Andy Burnham in a blistering attack, accusing the prime minister of lacking the ambition needed to take on Britain’s biggest challenges.The former Top Gear presenter, 66, branded Burnham the “most small-minded and timid leader we’ve ever had” in his latest column for The Sunday Times
Clarkson issued the brutal takedown as he reflected on the explorers and adventurers who have pushed themselves to extraordinary extremes throughout history. He pointed to figures such as Neil Armstrong, Chuck Yeager and the Wright brothers, arguing that their willingness to take risks helped humanity progress.
Burnham was branded the “most small-minded and timid leader we’ve ever had”
The Grand Tour star then suggested that the next generation of pioneers should focus on problems that could determine humanity’s future, including artificial intelligence or the prospect of humans living on Mars or the bottom of the ocean.
It was while making this wider point about ambition that Clarkson turned his attention to Burnham.
“Ordinarily, when we get a new Prime Minister, he is full of gusto and drive and ambition,” Clarkson wrote, before arguing a new leader would want to focus on tackling major international problems.
However, he claimed Burnham took a different approach, referencing the prime minister’s focus on technical education.
The Clarkson’s Farm star highlighted Burnham’s reported desire to “give every young person a hard hat” before delivering a scathing verdict.
“He’s the most small-minded and timid leader we’ve ever had,” Clarkson wrote.
He concluded by joking that if had Burnham been in charge during humanity’s earliest days of exploration, “we’d all still be in there. Safe, but bored to tears”.
In July, Burnham announced a major change to schooling in the UK, confirming that when teenagers hit Year 10, they can take on a technical education alongside their core academic subjects
He said he wants there to be “no dead ends” for young people coming out of education, and for technical pathways to be put on an equal footing with traditional academic routes.
The technical pathways, which will pair skills training with work experience and connections with local employers, are set to be rolled out from September 2028.
