For Andy Burnham, walking into the bear pit that is Prime Minister’s Questions, it must have been hard to stay calm. His audience was a room of closely packed MPs, some hostile, some friendly – all very loud – many wanting to make a mark.
And the full audience for PMQs extends far beyond the MPs in the chamber. Prime ministers are thinking about the media, external groups, foreign governments, voters and financial markets. The reactions of any of these matter. The PM has the dual worry of dealing with opposition questions while also demonstrating his or her worth to the party members sitting behind them. Backbenchers can signal a lack of confidence through quietness or just not turning up.
