Burnham: ‘It’s going to offend a lot of people’: New UK PM Andy Burnham’s tea-making habit sparks debate
Britain’s incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham has revealed that he pours milk into a cup before pouring hot water when making tea, a habit that he admits can divide opinion, sparking a new debate over one of the country’s most cherished traditions.In a quick interview with PoliticsUK, Burnham was asked about his preference for brewed tea and said he had always been a “milk first” tea drinker.Explaining the reasoning behind his unusual approach, he said he believed adding the milk first “softens the tea bag a little bit and makes it thicker.”“I don’t know why,” Burnham said. “I just have a feeling it would soften the tea bag a bit and make it stronger. I could be wrong and I know it’s going to offend a lot of people, but there’s not going to be legislation against it.”Burnham will become Britain’s next prime minister and is expected to reveal more details of his government’s agenda next week.Beyond tea, Burnham also weighs in on daily habits and cultural debates.He said he was “very strongly opposed” to people playing loud music or voice notes on public transport, describing it as anti-social behaviour. He also objects to clapping when planes land, using mobile phones during concerts and leaving football matches before the final whistle.In another long-running British food debate, Burnham rejected the idea of pairing Yorkshire pudding with Christmas turkey. He joked about the holiday tradition: “If I had the power to do something, I would legislate it.”However, he’s more relaxed about the oft-mocked socks and sandals combo, admitting he occasionally wears socks and Birkenstocks.Burnham also said he was firmly against wearing shoes inside the house and criticized single-row queues in pubs, saying people should “stop this immediately”.The interview, designed to be a light-hearted introduction to the incoming prime minister, quickly attracted attention online, with his “tea comes first with milk” confession becoming one of the most talked about moments.Social media users were divided, with some defending his method while others insisting the hot water should be poured into the cup before the milk.Brewing tea has long been a surprisingly controversial topic in the UK, with seemingly minor preferences often sparking heated public debates.
