Ask a straight question, get a straight answer. It’s how politics is supposed to work but almost never does, which is why on the rare occasions it happens the result can be faintly chaotic. What did Andy Burnham mean when he said – in response to a question from the Tory MP Harriett Baldwin – that Labour couldn’t partner with the Green party while it remains wedded to the “Zionism is racism” motion its members have just endorsed?(安迪·伯纳姆在回答保守党议员哈丽雅特·鲍德温的提问时说，只要绿党仍固守其成员刚刚通过的“犹太复国主义即种族主义”动议，工党就无法与绿党合作——他这话到底是什么意思？) Were Green MPs now barred from a future coalition government? If so, what about councils where they are currently sharing power with Labour?
问一个直截了当的问题，得到一个直截了当的回答。政治本该如此运作，却几乎从未如此，正因如此，在极少数发生这种情况的时候，结果反而会有些混乱。安迪·伯纳姆在回答保守党议员哈丽雅特·鲍德温的提问时说，只要绿党仍固守其成员刚刚通过的“犹太复国主义即种族主义”动议，工党就无法与绿党合作——他这话到底是什么意思？绿党议员现在是否被排除在未来联合政府之外？如果是，那那些目前与工党联合执政的地方议会又该怎么办？
Though Burnham was only confirming what ministers have been arguing privately for days, at first nobody seemed to know: tellingly, it took almost 24 hours for the Labour party chair, Bridget Phillipson, to confirm that unless local Green groups disowned that idea sharpish, “Labour will bring any such local arrangement to an end”.(尽管伯纳姆只是在确认大臣们私下争论了数日的事情，但起初似乎没人搞得清楚：耐人寻味的是，工党主席布里奇特·菲利普森花了将近24小时才确认，除非地方绿党组织迅速与该理念划清界限，“工党将终止任何此类地方安排”。) So much for(……就此告吹；……不过如此) cuddly cross-party Andy, who always seemed so relaxed about rainbow coalitions(彩虹联盟（多党联合）). Now elected Greens in places such as Sheffield or Lewes must choose between power and members’ wrath, a useful rehearsal for what a hung parliament(悬浮议会（无多数党）) might feel like.
尽管伯纳姆只是在确认大臣们私下争论了数日的事情，但起初似乎没人搞得清楚：耐人寻味的是，工党主席布里奇特·菲利普森花了将近24小时才确认，除非地方绿党组织迅速与该理念划清界限，“工党将终止任何此类地方安排”。那个一向对彩虹联盟显得很随和的“暖男”跨党派安迪，这下可没戏了。如今，谢菲尔德或刘易斯等地的绿党当选者必须在权力与成员的愤怒之间做出选择——这堪称一次有用的预演，让人提前感受悬浮议会可能是什么滋味。
Westminster is increasingly realising that while nobody knows quite what’s in Burnham’s head except Burnham, unlike most prime ministers he is surprisingly liable just to tell you.(威斯敏斯特越来越意识到，虽然除了伯纳姆自己没人确切知道他脑子里在想什么，但与大多数首相不同，他出人意料地容易直接告诉你。) He did it earlier this week on a podcast, pointing out that Russia tried to interfere in the Brexit vote (which is true, albeit the sort of truth that for complicated reasons prime ministers don’t generally dwell on(细想；详述)). Now the safety catch(保险栓) is off again.
威斯敏斯特越来越意识到，虽然除了伯纳姆自己没人确切知道他脑子里在想什么，但与大多数首相不同，他出人意料地容易直接告诉你。本周早些时候，他在一档播客节目中就这么做了，指出俄罗斯曾试图干预脱欧公投（这是事实，尽管由于种种复杂原因，首相们通常不会细谈这类事实）。如今，保险栓又打开了。