Andy Burnham will face his first major test in the Commons this week as MPs return from summer recess, with warnings that the informal style which helped propel him into Downing Street will not be enough to withstand sustained parliamentary scrutiny.
The Prime Minister is due to appear at the Government dispatch box on Tuesday, September 1, for the first time since becoming leader. He will then face Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch across the chamber at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.
It will be the first direct confrontation between the pair since Mr Burnham replaced Sir Keir Starmer in July. The former Greater Manchester mayor has spent much of his short premiership communicating through speeches, social media and visits around the country, while Parliament has been away.
That period of relative freedom is now ending. Conservative MPs are expected to press him on defence spending, taxation and the Government’s handling of the early-release scheme for prisoners.
Ms Badenoch has already criticised Mr Burnham for avoiding parliamentary and media scrutiny, arguing that he must address major domestic and international issues rather than rely on his public image. Her approach is expected to be markedly more combative than the exchanges she had with Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Burnham’s aides have sought to portray his approach as “problem-solving, not point-scoring”, reflecting his stated ambition to bring a more collaborative style to Westminster. He has also invited Ms Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey to talks on social care, although any attempt at cross-party co-operation will be tested by the return of weekly political confrontation.
The Prime Minister’s relaxed presentation has become a prominent feature of his early time in office. During a visit to Kyiv last week, he was filmed playing guitar with Ukrainian soldiers in a mobile recording studio operated by the Cultural Forces unit. Mr Burnham joked that he was out of practice and declined to sing, while the soldiers later performed an Oasis song.
The appearance added to an image carefully built around his northern identity, informality and connection with popular culture. But critics have warned that the “honeymoon” period created by the summer recess is now over and that he must demonstrate authority on the floor of the House.
Mr Burnham became Prime Minister on July 20 after winning the Makerfield by-election and succeeding Sir Keir. He had previously spent nine years as mayor of Greater Manchester, returning to Parliament specifically to seek the Labour leadership. His last period as a government minister ended more than 16 years ago.
His first week in Downing Street was marked by a series of rapid announcements, including plans to remove VAT from domestic electricity bills, restore the £2 bus fare cap and establish a “No 10 North” base in Manchester. He also announced a pause to the early-release arrangements following concern over the possible release of the killers of PC Andrew Harper.
The measures helped generate favourable publicity, but also left the Government facing questions over their cost, implementation and long-term effect. Labour ministers will now have to defend those decisions in the Commons rather than through carefully managed public appearances.
The House of Commons returns at 2.30pm on Tuesday, when Mr Burnham is scheduled to take part in business of the House proceedings. Prime Minister’s Questions will take place at midday on Wednesday, September 2.
The opening exchanges are likely to provide the clearest indication yet of how the new Prime Minister performs under pressure — and whether his promise of a different kind of politics can survive the traditional demands of Westminster.
