Andy Burnham, the UK's most popular politician, is also the most sought-after man at Westminster, with Labour MPs, unions, civil servants, advisers, and thinktanks all battling for his ear as he prepares to become the next prime minister. 'There are so many different demands all at once. But the supply of face time with Andy is significantly smaller than the demand. It's been like laying down a new train track simultaneously with driving the train at 200mph,' said a close ally.
Burnham Returns to Westminster
Burnham arrived back at Westminster on Monday in a black cab from Euston station with just two aides. He was given offices on the top floor of Portcullis House, overlooking Big Ben, on the same corridor as allies Louise Haigh and Anneliese Midgley. During a heatwave, the two packed rooms have been stifling, with his inner circle overseeing parallel operations: the leadership campaign, transition planning, policy, and communications. The cohort is tiny—just half a dozen people—with others dipping in. The pressure has been intense; late one night, an adviser went to bed with 450 unread WhatsApp messages.
Policy Overload and Media Deluge
Miatta Fahnbulleh, a former thinktank chief who quit as a minister over Keir Starmer's leadership, and Josh Simons, the ex-Makerfield MP who gave up his seat for Burnham, have been drawing up policy for the prime minister presumptive before a likely coronation in three weeks. Team Burnham has been overwhelmed by a 'mountain' of policy papers—about 100 submissions since the byelection. 'Everybody wants to share their ideas. It's great, but impossible,' one said. Thinktank policy specialists worry about a 'bandwidth problem' due to too much material and not enough people to sift ideas. 'We have offered help but they don't seem to be ready for that yet,' said a thinktank boss. Media requests have also been deluged, with his team 'trying to hold the line' but sometimes struggling as 'allies' freelance with contradictory or wrong views.
Burnham's Cool Head Amidst Chaos
Burnham has kept a cool head but struggled to hide his blushes when he saw hundreds of cheering Labour MPs assembled for a photograph with him in Westminster Hall. 'Blimey,' he said. Since then, he has focused on private meetings with Labour MPs, many from the 2024 intake, signing up the 81 names required to run for the leadership. 'There's an absurd amount of pressure on him—but he just takes things in blocks and never gets ahead of himself,' an aide said. A friend cited the byelection as evidence of his focus: 'He could have been distracted by all the national noise, but he prioritised speaking to undecided voters.'
Expectations and Tensions
Allies acknowledge the difficulty of managing expectations. 'He's just one person and everybody projects their hopes on to him. It's hard to live up to,' one admitted. 'Andy is the personification of this moment of possibility,' another said. Among Labour MPs, there is excitement about Burnham's charm offensive and anxiety among those yet to secure a meeting, amid what one called a 'massive bunfight for influence.' Tensions exist on both wings of the party—the right taking succour at his appointment of Blairite James Purnell as chief of staff, the left spooked by it. 'Everyone projected on to Andy what they wanted, and only some people will get it,' an MP said.
Jostling for Key Jobs
A similar struggle is taking place over Burnham's choice of chancellor, which will show his instincts. Will he choose left-leaning Ed Miliband or a more centrist figure? The jostling for jobs has been 'excruciating,' as one inner circle member put it. Every day brings a new rumour, some put about by the individual themselves or their allies. Burnham has spoken to some current cabinet members—including Yvette Cooper and Rachel Reeves—but sources say this was about the handover, not potential jobs. Wes Streeting, who backed his campaign, is also helping. Miliband is advising on the economy and is regularly in touch, but Burnham has not yet sat down with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, though he has met John Healey. Others await a call.
Daggers Drawn Within Inner Circle
There is talk of 'daggers drawn' within some outer circles of Burnham's operation, with some feeling pushed out by Haigh and Simons, who are in the ascendancy. One MP has been almost in tears over it. Burnham's team stress that his platform for government is the priority, not individuals. Back home in the north-west, he is working on his first big speech on the economy, to be delivered in Manchester on Monday, as well as constituency engagements and using his 'stardust and legacy' to help launch Bev Craig's campaign for mayor.
Civil Servants and Access Talks
It's not just politicians and wonks who want Burnham's ear. Keir Starmer has given permission for access talks, but the clock is ticking, and senior civil servants are worried about the short timetable. Former cabinet secretary Simon Case said: 'Government officials will want and need certainty as soon as possible about who really does speak for Andy. The system needs to know, even in advance of him becoming PM, who has the authority to say 'Andy would like x' and really be truly representing his views.' The demands will only intensify when Burnham gets to No 10, though he will then have an army of civil servants. 'This job is not like any of the other jobs you've ever done before,' a senior party figure said.
Caffeine and Goodwill
Until his likely coronation on 20 July, his team will get by on caffeine and goodwill. 'We all have the same dry sense of humour which gets us through. We're northern realists about everything. We're taking it all in our stride,' one said. But they are also looking to Burnham himself: 'He knows what he wants to do and why he's doing it, that really helps guide you. If you're clear about that, then it helps you prioritise and cut out the noise.'
