Andy Burnham will become Prime Minister today – the seventh leader of the country in the last decade. It is a case of all hail the new messiah, who promises to build “a new politics” ( the eternal empty vow of every politician when taking power) but this time with a shiny new twist.
Burnham, who oozes a desperate desire to be liked, will lead a government focused on good vibes and the fantasy of a mythical Labour paradise lost, rather than anything grounded in the harsh political realities of today. His approach to power boils down to trusting his instincts (those vibes, again), based on the delusion that he has a special connection with ordinary voters. Difficulties, and there are plenty obvious to those with eyes to see, will be wished away with a broad smile and a flutter of those famous eyelashes. The mission is to jolly people along and make them feel better about life. Hope will butter the nation’s bread in Burnham land.
Burnham, who oozes a desperate desire to be liked, will lead a government focused on good vibes and the fantasy of a mythical Labour paradise lost
This substance-light approach has led to growing chaos and confusion even before Burnham has walked through the door of No. 10. The challenges ahead are serious enough but his verbal incoherence only muddies the waters. He has said the government needs to be “serious about putting more money back in people’s pockets”. It’s the kind of thing he loves to say because it sounds so, well, nice and unobjectionable, but he hasn’t said how and where he will find the money.
