Johnny Marr reacts to Andy Burnham covering The Smiths on guitar with soldiers in Ukraine

Johnny Marr has reacted to Prime Minister Andy Burnham covering The Smiths on guitar during a visit to Kyiv.

READ MORE: Government announce £45million to “turn up” music industry for artists, businesses and children – but what do Andy Burnham’s government need to do now? The PM, who previously served as Mayor of Greater Manchester, jammed ‘Rusholme Ruffians’ from the band’s 1985 album ‘Meat Is Murder’ alongside a Ukrainian soldier.

“I’m out of practice, a little bit,” he said as he strummed the instrument.

He also explained: “It’s a song by a Manchester band called The Smiths.” Burnham’s first visit to Ukraine as PM saw him go to the country’s military and artistic unit, who perform on the front lines, in hospitals and at rehabilitation centres.

During a new interview with Absolute Radio , Marr was asked about the PM covering The Smiths.

“I’ve only just been told about it, in great detail,” he responded.

“I think it’s an amazing thing.

In all honesty, for me, it’s like a victory for the guitar. [It’s] just the way I’m wired; I always think like that.” He continued: “I can’t quite get my head around it.

I don’t know whether pride is the word, but it probably is.

It’s kind of beyond me to sort of process it, really.

Because it could be massive that, but I just sort of go, ‘How great is the guitar?’ What an amazing tool the guitar is, you know? “My overwhelming feeling was that it was a victory of the guitar, really.

So I know that this being political – and obviously with the plight of Ukraine… The more I think about it, the more I think how insignificant I am in it, really.” Marr then agreed that the nod from Burnham shows the importance of music, globally, adding: “That’s a nice thought – I absolutely agree.

And good on him, you know?” Check out a clip of the interview above.

Burnham called The Smiths’ 1984 compilation ‘Hatful Of Hollow’ “the record that changed everything” for him, and has previously hailed it as one of his favourite albums of all time (via The Quietus ).