‘Andy Burnham strikes hopeful observe in first Commons check however tough decisions loom’
After a long hot summer, it was back to reality for Andy Burnham.
The new Prime Minister faced his first Commons test as Labour MPs finally got to see their new leader in action, six weeks after he swept to power to become Britain’s sixth PM in a decade.
Despite 16 years away from the Commons front bench, the PM appeared unfazed by spending more than three hours answering 125 questions on his agenda.
He sought to strike a more collegiate tone with Kemi Badenoch, and said he wanted to ditch political point scoring in favour of getting things done. It’s a stark contrast from Nigel Farage, who was back in Parliament after spending the summer arguing with a man dressed as a bin to distract from questions about his finances.
The exchanges were pure Burnham. Big on ambition, peppered with hope and optimism, but also highly political. There was no repeat of the doom and gloom warnings from the early months of Keir Starmer’s premiership, a mistake the new PM is determined not to repeat.
Ukraine, defence spending, taxes, welfare, hospitality, social care, even the Jodrell Bank telescope. Burnham engaged with everything, dropping hints left, right and centre on what he plans to do with power.
Here lies the tension. Burnham has huge ambitions and he knows he has to make a real impact to persuade voters to give Labour another term in office. But he won’t be able to do everything, and there will be times when he has to make difficult and unpopular choices.
The row over the early release of prisoners shows how problems will erupt that consume the PM’s attention. There are tricky issues on his desk, including the Budget, major reviews on welfare, a decision on North Sea oil and gas, immigration reforms, and defence spending.
The problems are not just at home. While he was speaking, Germany accused Russia of an attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport, in a stark reminder of how turbulent the global picture is.
His predecessor also left him a parting gift – a by-election Burnham could do without. Keir Starmer’s decision to quit as an MP – only weeks after pledging to serve out this Parliament – dominated the headlines ahead of the PM’s big Commons moment.
It sets up an early test of Burnham’s electoral appeal outside of the North West. Holborn and St Pancras has long been a Labour stronghold, but Starmer’s majority was reduced to 11,572 in 2024, despite the party’s landslide victory.
Independents and the Greens were nipping at his heels back then, and the political picture has changed since the general election. It will be a tempting seat for Zack Polanski to contest, particularly if the Greens can form some sort of pact with local independents.
Labour will need to throw the kitchen sink at winning it to avoid putting a dampener on Burnham’s good vibes.
