Burnham is master of his message for now. But he should know this: media foes will offer no respite | Tom Baldwin

Jul 27, 2026 - 08:30

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Burnham is master of his message for now. But he should know this: media foes will offer no respite | Tom Baldwin

While the new PM’s slick social media operation can help him bypass the hostile press that devoured Starmer, he will still need friends in the fourth estate

Andy Burnham has been in politics long enough to know that the largely friendly media coverage he’s received so far would turn hostile once he was inside Downing Street. And, within hours of becoming prime minister, some familiar predators were circling as they tried to decide whether to attack him for being too leftwing, too insubstantial or simply offering more of the same.

The Mail accused him of embarking on an unfunded “spending spree”, the Sun highlighted a series of “embarrassing” and “humiliating” moments that marred his first days in office, while the Telegraph declared he stood for nothing except “gimmicks” and “rehashing failed ideas”. Much of this, of course, goes with the territory of being a Labour leader.