TTIP Over?

"Our party needs to take a step back from saying that we support TTIP. I can no guarantees that under my leadership Labour will support TTIP. It gives power to global corporate elites."

So Andy Burnham told yesterday's GMB Conference.

Of course, Jeremy Corbyn gave a guarantee that under his leadership, Labour would actively oppose TTIP. But he is not going to win.

Whereas Burnham is going to win.

Effectively, then, Labour has joined the Greens, Plaid Cymru and the SDLP as the fourth seat-taking party in the House of Commons opposed to TTIP.

The DUP and UUP have been mildly critical, but essentially supportive. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have been right behind the thing. The SNP is all over the place.

And UKIP cannot get its head around this, the true character of the EU, which bears absolutely no resemblance to anything in the Daily Express. UKIP is in the laughable position of being pro-TTIP while nominally anti-EU.

Andy Burnham spoke, and lo, today's vote on TTIP in the European Parliament was cancelled. Cause and effect? No, of course not.

Rather, an undeniable sign that Burnham has his finger firmly on the pulse. He is the man of the moment.