At this year's Conservative Party Conference, the Tory faithful have delivered a surprising verdict on Labour's Andy Burnham: he is a likeable chap. That does not mean they view him as a threat or back his politics. One member called his view of the 1970s a complete "fairytale," while another said he thinks of "nothing North of Manchester."
Young Tories see momentum and relatability
Personality kept cropping up in conversations. One young member even thinks he stands a good chance of re-election. Isobelle Horne, 19, a student at Leeds University who also works in retail, said she thinks he'll be re-elected as Prime Minister over her own party's leader, Kemi Badenoch.
She said: "I think he's made really good momentum so far. And I think he's not your typical politician. He's very relatable to the people. He's obviously already got a strong hold in the North. And I don't think that's ever going to die."
Older members dispute his version of history
Stephen Lam, 69, a Conservative Party member from Guildford who is semi-retired after a career in property, had quite different thoughts. He said: "He's certainly captured the Labour Party more than Keir Starmer and his speech at the Labour Party conference was both very significant and very revealing. I mean to someone of my age he is a kind of charming throwback to the past."
"I don't think he knows what to do for the next two or three years. So he's rallying the troops by painting a profoundly false picture. In terms of what really happened in the 70s and 80s, what Labour and the Labour movement actually did, including considerable damage to the country which, of course, opened the door to M Thatcher. But instead of that, he's presented this fairytale."
Devolution vision versus a Manchester focus
Joe, 28, from Ferryhill, County Durham, works in political communications. He says that Burnham is certainly likeable. He said: "I actually think a bit of personality in politics goes a long, long way. But I think one of the biggest things he offers, he talks a lot about devolution in the North and places like where we're from. He has that vision. And I think when we think about people who have successfully sold a vision to the country and been rewarded for it, the person who comes to mind for me is Boris Johnson. You know, he had that very clear vision about what he wanted."
Not everyone agrees his 'Man of the North' schtick is as powerful as he and others might believe. Nicola Bell, 61, retired but working in the not-for-profit sector, lives in South Warwickshire. Asked if Kemi should be talking about the North more, she said: "No, I think you don't... That's his thing, isn't it? What is the point in fighting someone on their thing? She's not from the North, so what's the point in her trying to compete with Andy Burnham on his own turf?"
Longtime Tory member Ian Daly, 64, also retired after a career running and selling businesses, now lives in West Worcestershire. He said: "He only thinks about Manchester. If it wasn't for Man City money he wouldn't [have presided as mayor over] the fastest growing city in UK - and all of that growth came from Levelling Up."
Councillor and student weigh in
Conservative councillor Niall Innes, 33, represents the Hartburn ward in Stockton, Teesside. He agrees that Burnham can't look past his own front porch. He said: "Kemi is the champion of Britain. From Lands End to John O'Groats Kemi is the only leader talking of the things people care about. Rather than focus on gimmicks like Andy Burnham and his belief that there is nothing North of Manchester, the Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party is speaking up for people all over the UK. We need Kemi to keep doing what she is, talking sense and getting on with the job."
Will Hunter, 20, from Grimsby, studies international relations and politics. His verdict is one heard many times so far: likeable chap, wrong politics. He said: "I think he's a man who is very proud of his heritage, passionate about what he believes in and resolving the problems of his area, but his resolutions to that are…they're not the right ones. He's misjudged what [the country] actually needs. He's too focused on the past."
He added: "He seems like he's a likeable chap. I've met people who didn't really like politics and say 'ah he seems like a lovely chap!'. And I myself, as a Northerner, think 'ah yeah he seems alright!' but I would never vote for him."
