NONE of us really know what Andy Burnham plans to do about the climate crisis, devolution, rising Israeli aggression in the West Bank, defence spending, or the cost of living crisis.
But we do know that he likes Twiglets a lot and thinks that KP peanuts are a bit boring. Thank goodness.
How do we know this? Well it's because Burnham has been putting a lot of energy into his TikTok. His review of pub snacks alongside his new Chancellor John Healey went viral over the weekend, and many journalists heralded it as a PR masterclass.
George Eaton, editor-in-chief at Arguably, suggested the video should be "studied for years to come as a comms/policy masterclass".
The News Agents' Lewis Goodall said Labour's comms "has been in another league this week".
You can see why Burnham has gone down this road. Keir Starmer was incredibly uncharismatic, and he wants to make sure people understand he is different and come across as relatable from the off.
But the problem is, Burnham has not ended up where he is as Britain's Prime Minister just because his predecessor was unable to connect with the public. He's there because the UK is a mess and people are crying out for answers.
In that context, it would seem they're not that impressed to see him waste time debating whether scampi fries are better than bacon fries.
Amid the occasional journalist praising his PR approach, the video has received a huge amount of criticism.
Burnham’s first week should be studied for years to come as a comms/policy masterclass. https://t.co/cFQpzdTB3g
— George Eaton (@georgeeaton) July 24, 2026
Some have called it "insufferable", while others have said it is "vain, boring, and adolescent" and shows Burnham has no grasp on how serious the UK's situation is. Burnham has repeatedly been called a "clown" on the back of it, too.
No one is suggesting politicians shouldn't be trying to connect with people in this way. The public feel more distant from politicians than ever and social media is a great way to engage with voters.
But this does seem like a bit of a reactionary, back-of-a-fag-packet idea Burnham has blindly run with.
Am I the only one finding this social media stuff from Andy Burnham insufferable? https://t.co/8Hl4YfFYeD
— Neil Stone (@DrNeilStone) July 25, 2026
While people might be wanting someone who has a bit more about them than Starmer, what they're more concerned about is how they are going to pay their bills, whether wildfires are going to become an annual occurrence, and whether their benefits entitlement is going to be attacked again.
It suggests Burnham has not got a grasp of how savvy the public are these days about politics, and how they will have little patience for a leader who seems more interested in painting himself as hip than solving real-life problems.
All this comes too amid Burnham consistently snubbing scrutiny from the media, which makes it even more troubling some journalists are applauding his strategy.
During his first official visit to Scotland as Prime Minister last week, Burnham refused to speak to any of the Scottish media at all.
Facing up to the media is a key part of his job and it should not be seen as optional. It seems as though he thinks keeping his social media ticking over is a priority and speaking to the media is something he can do if he finds the time between rating AI images of Number 10 North and talking about crisp sandwiches.
Despite his best efforts to be at one with the public, I think Burnham is discovering it's going to take more than snappy vertical videos on TikTok to get Scotland and the UK on side.
