Andy Burnham crossed the finish line of a 10K race in 53 minutes and 15 seconds – almost exactly the average completion time for a British male – a performance that reinforces his reputation as a "man of the people". It has been quite the week for the new prime minister, who took office after Sir Keir Starmer's departure on Monday. The fledgling Burnham administration has been seeking to find its feet and make a decent first impression, with an early pattern of morning announcements from No 10: business rates on Thursday, bus fares on Wednesday, and a VAT cut on electricity bills on Tuesday.
Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who is back in the cabinet as housing secretary, told the BBC's Today programme on Friday: "We are on borrowed time if we don't get a move on." Burnham is assembling what Rayner calls "a pride of mayors" for a meeting of the National Economic Council at his new No 10 North in Manchester. He claims the base represents the beginning of "the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen" and will bring "the biggest changes in the last 40 years", though his 10-year plan will come later in the year.
“Andy Burnham's 10K run time of 53:15 matches average, as his first week sees policy announcements and compulsory voting debate.”
His opponents are recalibrating. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch gave an al fresco speech on a rooftop in central London on Thursday, teasesing Burnham over his informal style – he "seems like a nice g…"
Running has long been a cornerstone of Burnham's routine, providing an outlet from political pressure. His 53:15 finish on Deansgate delighted recreational runners. Meanwhile, the third reading of the Representation of the People Bill, which would lower the voting age to 16 and tighten campaign finance rules, has been postponed until after parliament's summer recess. Two Labour MPs, Antonia Bance and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, have tabled amendments introducing a "compulsory duty to vote". Around 20 countries have some form of compulsory voting; Australia, which introduced it in 1924, enjoys turnout rates of 90 per cent. In contrast, UK turnout for the 2024 general election was below 60 per cent – falling to 53 per cent when unregistered eligible voters are included, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research. The Constitutional Society’s 2025 report "Universal Suffrage?" found turnout in 2024 was significantly higher among voters who were white (by 13 percentage points), wealthy (22), older (34) and outright homeowners (36), compared with their ethnic minority, poor, younger and renting counterparts.
Burnham’s early evidence points to him being both more sharp and more nimble than his predecessor, the BBC’s political editor Chris Mason noted. But the question remains whether his pull on the levers of power will produce results.