Andy Burnham's political honeymoon has quietly ended, not with a dramatic crisis but with a slow fade into apathy, as the nation and much of the Labour Party grow uneasy with his leadership.
For weeks, commentators have predicted the end of Burnham's honeymoon with the electorate, but it hasn't happened. Unlike the sudden cloudburst that followed Rachel Reeves' decision to axe the Winter Fuel Payment under Keir Starmer, Burnham has avoided disastrous decisions, unforgivable gaffes, or actions that split his party or the country.
A Promise of the Caribbean, a Reality of Rhyl
Instead, the honeymoon has simply petered out. The excitement has gone. As the article puts it, "We were promised the Caribbean, we got three long months in Rhyl." The nation, along with much of the Labour Party, now feels that Burnham wasn't the one after all.
The nation warmed to the cheery northerner when he made self-deprecating jokes about his navy blue T-shirt and munched through bags of crisps, looking and sounding like a human being. Starmer couldn't do TikTok, and they were right. But there's something Burnham isn't doing any better than Starmer: being an effective PM.
No Substance, No Spark
Honeymoons throw people together, and it hasn't taken long to figure out Andy Burnham. He's a jolly chap, but you wouldn't want him running the country. Except he is. His two previous attempts to become Labour leader flopped due to no substance, but Labour was so desperate to hitch itself to anyone they chose to overlook that.
Burnham is a people pleaser, and the people are still broadly pleased. He wants to keep it that way, so he'll avoid doing anything to displease them. So far, he's only given us things we'd be pleased with: lower bus fares, money off energy bills, complaints about people wearing headphones on the Tube, and a Budget designed to do 'no harm' rather than actually do some good.
PMQs Empties as Apathy Grows
Reality is sinking in. Yesterday, the House of Commons emptied during PMQs. It should be the highlight of the week but was too dull to endure. Even the combative Kemi Badenoch struggled to spice things up, feeling like she's thumping a wet sponge, soaking everything up and giving nothing back.
A British PM is supposed to dominate the Commons. This one slips in and out unnoticed, as if he's only there to clear up and collect the lanyards. Like a lot of marriages, Labour came to this one with unrealistic expectations. Now they've seen Burnham at close quarters, their ardour has cooled. Soon it will be the turn of voters. This honeymoon will end in the worst possible way: apathy. But we'll all be stuck with him.
