Nick Ferrari has reflected on Andy Burnham's Labour conference speech, suggesting the Prime Minister's greatest asset is simple: he is not Sir Keir Starmer.
Writing for LBC, Ferrari recalled the 'rock star vibe' surrounding Burnham at the conference in Liverpool this week, comparing it to the 'heady days of Boris-mania'. He noted that crowds were 'ten deep' when Burnham arrived at the temporary LBC studio, requiring extra security, and described the 'Burnham Bounce' in all its 'joyous enthusiasm'.
Appeal to younger voters
Ferrari observed that Burnham's speech was delivered to a hall 'packed with socialists', so selling socialism there 'shouldn't really come as a surprise', but he did it 'rather well'. He highlighted Burnham's line that 'we, as politicians have failed you', noting that with widespread distrust of politicians, this is likely to resonate with the young, who are among the most disengaged.
Ferrari suggested that Burnham's decision to scrap the OAP triple lock, which has caused outrage among older voters, is a calculated move, as few pensioners are Labour supporters. He noted that the party's problem was young supporters defecting to the Green Party or Liberal Democrats, and that expressing a desire for closer EU ties could help attract them back.
What was missing
However, Ferrari pointed out what Burnham did not say. He questioned the lack of detail on how the proposed National Care Service, NHS improvements, buying back utilities, and building council houses would be funded, given the nearly £3 trillion debt and the Chancellor's statement that 'the coffers were bare'. He also noted the absence of detailed policies on immigration, defence, law and order, and education, apart from a brief reference to Ukraine and President Zelensky.
In a one-on-one interview with Burnham an hour after the speech, Ferrari challenged him on this. Burnham responded that 'there was everything on the desk and I only had so much time', adding: 'I felt my job here was to get my vision out there, where Britain can go and how we get there.' Ferrari also noted that Burnham spoke emotionally about his father, who died two weeks ago, with the funeral not until Friday.
Burnham vs Starmer
Ferrari concluded that Burnham can reflect on a job well done, even if it was a bit 'happy clappy' or 'hopey clappy', and that the nirvana he believes we can stride to is ten years away. He suggested that Burnham's greatest asset is that he is not Sir Keir Starmer, adding: 'When Burnham stands up his crowd says "Wow!" When Starmer stood up, the crowd said "Why?"'
