LONDON - Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, has adopted an overtly digital-first style, posting informal videos and short clips across platforms where populist parties have previously prospered. From good-humoured banter about pub snacks to self-deprecating responses about his wardrobe, Burnham’s early social content has attracted large online audiences and been framed by his team as an attempt to be inclusive rather than polarising.
The shift to a more relaxed public persona online was a major factor in Labour’s decision to replace its previous leader and prime minister with Burnham, the long-serving mayor of Greater Manchester and former cabinet minister. Within roughly two weeks of taking office, his videos were accumulating millions of views on TikTok, X and Instagram, signalling rapid audience engagement for material designed to be upbeat rather than click-driven provocation.
Observers and former aides say the online push does not itself resolve the tougher economic and social policy issues facing the government, but it does give Burnham scope to build a following now that could prove useful when messaging must confront harder realities.
An inclusive tone rather than a divisive posture
James Lyons, who served as director of strategic communications for Burnham’s predecessor and previously worked for TikTok, described the new prime minister’s approach as different from that of parties such as the Greens or Reform UK. "Instead of being polarising, he’s just seeking to be popular and inclusive," Lyons said, adding that Burnham manages "the very, very difficult trick of being very serious about what he’s doing as prime minister, but not taking himself too seriously."
Lyons highlighted the tactical advantage of combining a substantive agenda with a lighter personal touch online, saying it gives Burnham hope of countering Reform UK, whose leader Nigel Farage has spent years building a large following by producing striking videos about immigration, crime and social issues.
Farage’s reach includes roughly 2.3 million followers on X, 1.5 million on TikTok and about 1 million on Instagram, figures that underline the scale of the communications challenge Labour faced under its previous leader. Early polling after Burnham’s appointment suggests Labour has narrowed Reform UK’s lead in some surveys, though the next general election remains several years away.
Content, followers and platform dynamics
Burnham has shown that a prime ministerial figure can participate in light, culturally local formats and still draw attention. A pub-segment video featuring the prime minister and finance minister John Healey, in which they discussed a tax cut for hospitality venues and casually ranked pub snacks, drew around 4.7 million views on X alone, with additional millions across other platforms.
That particular clip included a moment in which Burnham admitted a fondness for the pickled-onion flavour "Monster Munch" and queried whether people outside northern England put crisps - called chips in North America - into sandwiches known in the north as "butties." The informal tone echoed a familiar British pub genre often used in political communication; the clip illustrated how policy announcements, such as the hospitality tax cut, can be framed in everyday settings.
When Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed Burnham as "a pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt," he replied with a short video in which he blinked and said, "It’s dark blue, actually." The exchange underlined how rapid-response content can convert adversarial commentary into approachable, shareable moments.
Burnham’s social accounts are growing quickly from a more modest base than his populist rivals. He has about 730,000 followers on X, roughly 450,000 on TikTok and some 600,000 on Instagram. Still, his team reported substantial daily gains, including adding 50,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram in a single day last week.
Academic and industry views on messaging
Academics said Burnham’s skill at communicating online contrasts with the more formal style of his predecessor, which critics argued left Labour struggling to explain its strategy and the promises it has delivered since its 2024 election victory. Rosalynd Southern, senior lecturer in political communication at the University of Liverpool, said that where Labour had previously produced "fairly random memes" and scattered policy posts, Burnham’s team now appears to be executing a more coordinated and integrated strategy.
Katy Parry, professor of media and politics at the University of Leeds, observed that Burnham has recognised "a disconnect between politicians and the public" and managed to adopt an approach distinct from right-wing populists. "He’s not anti-politics in the way that some right-wing populist politicians are," she said.
The video content has also benefited from sympathetic coverage in traditional media, extending reach beyond those who saw the clips natively on social apps. Some posts have deliberately tapped into established online trends - for example, one montage adopted the style of the American version of the TV comedy series The Office - while a straightforward listicle summarising five achievements in his first week gained about 5 million views on TikTok.
Investment in a digital operation
Behind the scenes, Burnham’s team includes staff focused on producing digital content. The government was hiring roles for social content creation, production and strategy, with advertised salaries ranging from 40,000 to 80,000. The operation is overseen by Abby Tomlinson, who first came to public attention as a teenage student after leading a viral meme in support of a previous Labour leader’s campaign in 2015.
Although social media has already been effective in projecting government messaging, pollster Keiran Pedley, UK director of politics at Ipsos, warned that longer-term political fortunes will hinge on delivering on voters priorities and demonstrating resilience when difficulties arise. "He has set the agenda ... it’s a pretty positive start," Pedley said. "The question is, when there are bumps in the road, how does he manage those?"
Summary and implications
Burnhams early social media campaign is notable for its emphasis on accessibility and integration with policy announcements, from tax cuts for hospitality to summarised lists of achievements. The approach has attracted millions of views and rapid follower growth, but experts caution that communication success does not substitute for policy delivery. The hospitality sector, digital media and public-sector communications teams are among the areas most directly implicated by this strategy: hospitality by virtue of targeted tax measures highlighted online; digital and media industries by the expanded government content operation; and the public sector by new hires focused on social content production.