Burnham says ‘too much time is wasted in those dramas’ when asked about Scottish independence – as it happened

Following his speech, Burnham is taking questions from the media.

When asked by the BBC whether his approach with devolution will make him more or less likely the last prime minister of the United Kingdom, he said: “Obviously, I don’t want to be that.”

The SNP has been pushing for a path to Scottish independence, which the prime minister has repeatedly ruled out.

double quotation markI just feel we all have to move beyond the constitutional questions.

In my view, people in Scotland are suffering the cost of living crisis, like they are in England and everywhere else. And I think our job is to focus on the practicalities, to focus on solutions for people.

Right now, too much time is wasted in those dramas. It consumes too much energy.”