In a heated exchange, Conservative politician Kemi Badenoch targeted Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, suggesting he had turned his back on Labour leader Keir Starmer over trivial personal appeal rather than policy differences. Her comment, “They abandoned Starmer for a pair of eyelashes,” implied that Burnham and others were more swayed by image than substance. The remark appeared to reference Burnham’s independent streak within Labour and his critique of Starmer’s leadership.