How long can Burnham's TikTok honeymoon last?

I’ve so far been pretty positive about Andy Burnham and am keeping an open mind. But I found this LinkedIn post from my former editor, Andy Coulson - who was a No10 communications chief - a thoughtful corrective.

So far, Prime Minister looks like a man who is enjoying the job - a fat positive that’s not to be underestimated. The sun has shone (when it’s not been eclipsed) and the heatwave honeymoon is set to continue for a while yet. Against this glorious backdrop Andy Burnham’s social media blitz feels in-touch and pretty savvy. His team have gone all in on TikTok and Insta and Andy has taken a very particular (and, so far, effective) approach to his comms.

Some of it is a bit superficial for my old-school tastes. But much has been impactful and even, at times, moving. His podcast interview with

The PM is a good communicator and clearly loves the process. Which, as anyone in the business of reputation will know, is half the battle. But if I were back in the old job I’d be anxious. Because this period of positive coverage - whatever the data says - is unsustainable. When the inevitable shit sandwich lands on the PM’s desk - maybe in a week, maybe on a wet Wednesday in October - his current strategy will be vulnerable.

There are hard truths coming.

• In the end, he will be judged on the economy - and whichever way he jumps, there are trapdoors waiting

• We just don’t like unelected PMs in Britain. That’s a problem that charm can’t solve

• There will be a sticky, challenging crisis that’s impossible to plan for because there always is. Maybe it’ll be related to the prison release farrago, maybe it’ll be economic or maybe it’ll be entirely self-inflicted. But it’s coming and when it does, TikTok ain’t going to help you.

In fact, popping up there will make you look out of touch. And just a touch self-obsessed. We saw a warning sign this past week. In an otherwise quite engaging piece of ‘impromptu’ No10 content, the PM had a surprise chat with his former Cambridge University lecturer - all nicely timed for A Level results day. Andy looked genuinely shocked to find this fella sat in the No10 Thatcher study, which is a stone’s throw from the PM’s office.

Let’s set aside how plausible that is. Where Andy slipped up was in asking his team ‘Did you capture that?’ as the filming finished. A small, but revealing moment - that suggests that Andy loves this social malarkey just a bit too much.

So my advice to Burnham’s comms team (that they’re not asking for) is: start prepping now for the coming weather change. Because it’s coming. And it will be traditional media that you’ll have to turn to help get you through, so make sure you are showing them a bit of love and respect.

Or maybe you’re alive to the ‘unelected PM’ virus and have in mind Farage’s deep troubles and Kemi’s so far slow moving campaign. And an early election is actually what sits behind this ‘I’m Andy, try me’ blitz. In which case: crack on, and hope that your Mr Blue Sky can pull it off before the clouds gather.