"So, Andy Burnham seems like a nice guy." Those were the unexpected opening words of Kemi Badenoch's first speech since he became prime minister – but she was there to bury him. The Conservative leader accused Burnham of governing like he is still the mayor of Greater Manchester, embarking on a "spending spree" of early promises without explaining how they would be paid for.
Burnham's first policies include restoring a £2 cap on bus fares in England, cutting VAT on household electricity bills, reducing business rates for pubs and live music venues, and finding more accommodation for rough sleepers – interventions projected to cost around £1.8bn in total. The government says these are funded through savings, reallocation of existing budgets and future tax hikes on "anti-social businesses". But in a speech on a rooftop terrace in central London on Thursday, Badenoch demanded clarity. "He doesn't actually know what he wants to do, he is thinking out loud. All that we know is it's going to cost a lot of money," she said.
“Kemi Badenoch attacks Andy Burnham over early spending promises, calling his approach a mayoral 'spending spree'.”
Badenoch called Burnham a prime minister "with small answers to big problems" and urged him to "lift his sights to broader things" such as defence spending and lowering energy costs for businesses. "Andy Burnham's ambitions for Britain are too small," she added.
Even Badenoch-sceptics agree she is becoming more confident and forging a coherent message based on economic competence. But she faces a different challenge now. Burnham, a more media-natural figure, deflected her previous jibe dismissing him as a "pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt" with a viral social media response. One senior Conservative said: "She has to adapt – it's like with anything when your opponent changes. As a personality, Burnham is much more likable [than Starmer], and comes with a fair degree of popularity."
Burnham, Greater Manchester's first elected mayor in 2017, has put his decade-long stint at the heart of his Downing Street agenda. As mayor he kept a £2 bus fare cap when the England-wide limit rose to £3, and has cited the city-region's bus franchising model as possible for regulating water and energy. Labour defended his announcements as "bringing back hope after Kemi Badenoch's Tory Party nearly broke Britain".
Meanwhile, Baroness Harriet Harman urged Burnham to "build bridges" with the Starmerite ministers he sacked during his reshuffle, while a Daily Mail poll asked readers whether Burnham would have a good relationship with Donald Trump – a source close to the White House said the president will "tolerate" the Labour leader because he believes he will not be the last PM of his presidency.
The interpretation: Badenoch's attack signals a long-term strategy to paint Burnham as fiscally irresponsible, but his early popularity and media savvy may force her to refine her approach as new Parliament settles in.