When Andy Burnham becomes prime minister next Monday, a British leader will swap a buttoned-up suit for a jacket and T-shirt in a carefully curated rebranding of Labour's top job. The 56-year-old former mayor of Greater Manchester, who won a special election in Makerfield last month, is betting that his "Manchester clothes" and chatty selfie videos can win back voters who have abandoned Labour two years after the party's landslide victory. But political branding experts warn there are risks to his dressed-down image.
The basics are that Burnham, a frequent social media poster, has developed a relaxed, smiling demeanor in his selfie videos and prefers to wear a jacket and T-shirt rather than a formal suit. He opened his first major speech as a Labour leadership candidate with a joke about needing "special permission" to wear his "Manchester clothes" for the occasion. He also used a memoji-style avatar on campaign posters in Makerfield, featuring his trademark T-shirt, jacket and black glasses, with Labour's brand largely absent.
“Explaining Andy Burnham's casual T-shirt and jacket look as he prepares to become UK prime minister.”
Burnham's style is not accidental. He is replacing Keir Starmer, 63, a methodical London lawyer and former knight who was a pillar of the establishment. The transition brings an overhaul of political styles. Winston Churchill famously wore a "siren suit" during WWII air raids and Margaret Thatcher always carried a handbag, said James Lyons, former strategic communications director in Starmer's Downing Street, now at Penta Group. "Politicians have always used outfits to send a message," Lyons added, predicting Burnham will wear a suit when required and T-shirts when he does not.
For UK readers, this matters because it signals a deliberate attempt to connect with voters alienated by traditional party politics. Burnham's approach contrasts with the more formal image of recent leaders, and his success or failure could reshape how politicians present themselves. It also comes amid a "darkened" political climate, as Burnham himself noted after the death of Ann Widdecombe, a Reform UK spokeswoman and former Conservative MP. He said social media is building "toxicity around the political debate" and that he was shocked by the security now required.
Q: What will Andy Burnham wear as prime minister? He is expected to continue his usual jacket and T-shirt look for most occasions, but will wear a formal suit when required, such as meeting King Charles III to be appointed prime minister.
Q: Why is Andy Burnham's clothing important? Politicians use outfits to send messages, and Burnham's casual style signals a break from establishment politics, aiming to appeal to voters who feel disconnected from Westminster.
Q: How did Burnham win the Labour leadership? He gained a path back to Westminster by winning a special election in Makerfield last month, then stood for the Labour leadership. He is set to become party leader on Friday and prime minister on Monday.
What happens next: Burnham will be appointed prime minister by King Charles III on Monday. He will also face immediate decisions on MP security following Widdecombe's death – he has already called for a serious review – and has been urged by a cross-party group of MPs to allow councils to increase council tax by as much as they want. The coming weeks will test whether his carefully curated, dressed-down brand can actually win back voters.