Andy Burnham was still taking questions from local media at a Somerset bus depot after the cameras stopped rolling — a small moment that revealed a stark difference from his predecessor, Keir Starmer.
The new prime minister, who replaced Starmer earlier this week, had just announced a new £2 bus fare cap in Bath. But unlike Starmer, who Craig Munro, senior political reporter for Metro, described as treating every interview like "a tightrope to be crossed," Burnham appeared relaxed and present. When Munro unexpectedly asked about integrating public transport across the country, Burnham didn't miss a beat before saying he fully supported it — a response Munro believes Starmer might have deflected until he could check Labour's official position.
“Andy Burnham announced a £2 bus fare cap and showed a more relaxed style than Keir Starmer.”
The contrast is striking. Starmer, last seen sipping a pint outside the Grafton pub in Kentish Town, was amiable and polite in person but switched into a "rather robotic mode" once the camera rolled, standing very still and rattling through responses. Burnham, by contrast, feels "very at home in the world of politics," according to Munro. His wife has said he told her he wanted to be an MP on the first night they met at university.
Burnham's first week in No 10 has been marked by an effort to make as much noise as possible, and the bus fare cap is his flagship early policy. Whether he will succeed remains an open question. But for now, the prime ministerial vibes under the new occupant are unmistakably different.