Can Burnham Turn a Flying Start into Success?
Ten days into his premiership, Andy Burnham has set a blistering pace, with a flurry of announcements on devolution, defence, social care and now the courts. Commentators have been struck by the energy of his opening fortnight, even as they question whether the momentum can last. The new Prime Minister has moved quickly to define himself against his predecessor.
Mr Burnham’s activist start has energised his supporters and unsettled his opponents, but the hardest tests still lie ahead. Paying for his promises — on social care, devolution and the deterrent — will collide with strained public finances at the autumn Budget, and a resurgent Reform UK remains a potent threat. A natural communicator, he has been described as a crowd-pleaser who may ultimately be defined by the enemies he makes. The goodwill of a honeymoon rarely survives the first hard choices. Watch whether he can convert early momentum into lasting achievement.