Before he became Britain’s prime minister, Andy Burnham promised to “do politics differently”. Just three days into his time in Downing Street, that approach is already being put to the test.
In the last two days, the prime minister has been accused of performing U-turns over raising the income tax threshold, raising taxes for higher earners and freezing private sector rents.
The minor controversies are mostly a function of the fact Burnham has come into office with a rare combination of not having fixed his policy platform and a habit of speaking openly about his ideas before they are fully formed.
Earlier this week, for example, Burnham said that while he was campaigning in the Makerfield byelection which secured his return to parliament, he had heard more complaints about the income tax threshold than any other issue. This prompted speculation he would raise it once he became PM.
Reports on Tuesday suggested he had ruled it out, only for him to clarify on Wednesday that it was still an option. As he did, Burnham expressed surprise that people had put so much stock in his original comments.
“It’s funny these days you can’t answer a question honestly without then people reading everything else into it,” he told broadcasters. “I want to answer questions honestly in this job, as I said before. I think that’s all about trust in politics and doing politics differently, and I’m determined to keep working in that way.”
He added: “It’s just perhaps the way politics is these days and the way people report things, but that was an honest answer.”
A similar scenario played out over the issue of freezing private sector rents. Asked by reporters on Monday if such a move could be part of his package to tackle the UK’s cost of living crisis, he replied: “We’re looking at all of those things.”
On Wednesday, however, it was reported that officials were not actively considering such a move.
Burnham has also kickstarted an unexpected debate on releasing prisoners early, saying he would review the policy, which has been one of the government’s main tools for easing overcrowding in prisons.
“Andy appears to have just realised he is the prime minister,” said one Labour official. “He is a talented communicator and he is right that the media spins messages and this can be a hostile environment. But it is his job to go into that with his eyes wide open.
“He hasn’t fought an election or had much scrutiny, and so people are desperately trying to understand what his priorities and platforms are.”
For many, Burnham’s approach is a necessary response to the buttoned-up way in which his predecessor, Keir Starmer, used to speak and to the modern media environment which demands authenticity above discipline.
His open, conversational style worked well as Greater Manchester mayor, when reporters became used to his off-the-cuff comments during press conferences, and he seems determined to bring the same outlook to Downing Street.
“He’s not an idiot,” said Sean Kemp, who advised the former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and is now a partner at the political comms firm Hanbury Strategy. “He knows what he’s doing, but he doesn’t care, and he’s going to keep on saying it. And he’s done it so much now, I’m starting to think now that he’s decided this is just how he does things.”
The approach is also reflected in the media he uses to communicate. He has already shown his willingness to use mischievous social media posts to get his message across, and took part in an online question-and-answer session on Reddit shortly after winning the Makerfield byelection.
But the chances of being misunderstood were highlighted in another post-Makerfield interview, with the England footballer turned podcaster Gary Lineker. In comments that were interpreted by some as leaving the door open to a wealth tax and others as ruling it out, he said: “I do believe we need a greater sense of fairness and people feeling that things are being done in the right way and a fair way.
“But at the same time, you know, I don’t want to sort of be perceived as somebody who’s coming in with grudges and agendas and, you know, going to just immediately find or demonise one group or create a new way of dividing people.”
Burnham’s desire to bypass traditional political journalism is not new, say political communication experts. But it does carry risks.
“I think every single prime minister in the last 25 years has tried to do that,” said Kemp. “Then they realise that these are the people reporting day to day on what you are doing, and still, to a great extent, are setting the parameters of how you’re viewed.”
Guto Harri, who was once the communications director for the former prime minister Boris Johnson, said: “He’s not an ordinary person any more, he is the first lord of the Treasury and the prime minister of Britain.
“So if he says these things, it is reasonable for the people who hear him to think something will follow. And if something doesn’t follow, then people are likely to become cynical quite quickly.”
