Burnham v Starmer: one week in, how do their leadership styles compare?

Andy Burnham took over from Keir Starmer after being crowned as Labour leader unopposed. Composite: Shutterstock/PA View image in fullscreen Andy Burnham took over from Keir Starmer after being crowned as Labour leader unopposed. Composite: Shutterstock/PA Burnham v Starmer: one week in, how do their leadership styles compare? From TikTok appearances to ‘sugar rush’ policies, new prime minister is taking different approach to predecessor S ix weeks ago Andy Burnham was not even an MP; now the former mayor of Greater Manchester is the most important political figure in Britain. After orchestrating a bloodless coup against Keir Starmer , in which he was crowned as Labour leader unopposed, the new prime minister has started his tenure in Downing Street with some eye-catching policies and a radically different approach to communication. A week into the job, how do their leadership styles compare? Freewheeling v traditional media Ever since his first big speech at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, at which he took no questions but made all the headlines anyway, Burnham has resisted media scrutiny. He did just three interviews as an MP before becoming prime minister – and since entering No 10 has had a brief huddle with political editors and several broadcast pool clips. Instead, his early focus seems to be on social media, answering softball questions on Reddit, appearing alongside viral TikTok stars Bus Aunty and Max Klymenko , and replying to X posts by members of the public. While Keir Starmer has upped his social media game in recent weeks, his Downing Street operation recognised that “traditional” media still had power to drive the narrative and – while he didn’t much like it – he regularly subjected himself to scrutiny. Burnham’s team say he will take more questions, but it hasn’t happened yet. Relaxed style v sticking to the script View image in fullscreen One of Andy Burnham’s big selling points with Labour MPs was his ability to connect with the public. Photograph: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters Before he became prime minister, Burnham promised to do politics differently, and he didn’t just mean wearing T-shirts and jeans. “I want to answer questions honestly in this job … I’m determined to keep working in that way.” One of his big selling points with Labour MPs was that he could connect more naturally with the public than Starmer, who was often criticised for sticking to the script and coming across as wooden. But, as Burnham has already found, his words now carry greater weight. He has already been accused of performing U-turns over issues including raising the income tax threshold – when he was really just speaking openly about his ideas before they were fully formed. “It’s funny, these days you can’t answer a question honestly without then people reading everything else into it,” he said. His critics may call him naive, but his more relaxed style may go down well with the public. Sugar rush v long-term change Grabbing public attention