Political Editor Martyn Brown has described Andy Burnham as the most un-Prime Ministerial Prime Minister he has encountered stretching back to the Blair/Brown era, after spending 37 minutes watching the PM on a flight to New York.
Brown was seated directly behind the 56-year-old PM, staring at the top of his head just inches away, as Burnham popped back mid-journey to be grilled by the press pack on board in what journalists call a doughnut. He noted that Burnham does not dye his very dark hair, which he could pretty much guarantee after that close-up view.
First impressions at 35,000 feet
At first the PM appeared slightly uneasy and cautious, unsurprising as it was his first taste of the Parliamentary Lobby in such a scenario. Brown found Burnham to be everything you would imagine him to be, perhaps even more so, even when flying at 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean.
His Captain Scarlet eyebrows and eyelashes appear darker, his positivity is more pronounced. He dresses in denim trousers and a trendy suit jacket. He is generous with his time and, by and large, he answers journalists' questions.
Grilling on Trump, AI and Brexit
The press pack grilled the new Labour leader on everything from Trump to AI, Brexit, Welfare and the Middle East crisis. Unfazed, his answers were considered and he actually had an opinion, unlike Sir Keir Starmer who often replied in the hope that he wouldn’t cock anything up. He even took time to poke fun at Danny Dyer, who had recently unleashed an expletive-laden tirade at the PM.
By the time he had finished, the clock on Brown's voice recorder had gone past the 37-minute mark and his notebook actually had some decent stories in it. It was a far cry from the arid aeroplane huddles with former Prime Minister Theresa May which routinely failed to deliver.
Trump showdown and the journey home
Burnham's showdown with Trump on Tuesday, in a tiny room deep inside the United Nations headquarters, was a curious affair. The Prime Minister was clearly nervous, gripping his hands together and shifting in his seat as he sat next to the notoriously volatile US President. Apart from one big swipe at the government’s plans for the Chagos Islands, Trump was largely on gracious behaviour.
Team Burnham were pleased with how the encounter went and, so it appears, was the Prime Minister himself. Jetting home on the red-eye that night, Burnham, now dressed in his favourite dark-navy t-shirt, popped back for a more informal chat with reporters. The PM told Brown that he just had to be himself and not try to be anything else when meeting Trump. He then half-joked that the upcoming Labour party conference would be tougher than what he had just experienced.
Again, he was more generous than most with his time. He appears to be a man who wants to be liked. It’s a good job for him that he’s about to spend the next few days in the city he was born, Liverpool, for the Labour Party Conference. This time last year Burnham’s half-hearted leadership coup exploded on the launchpad on Merseyside. Just 12 months later he is in the job he has coveted for most of his political career.
