A cartoon this week in the Russian newspaper Izvestiya had Larry, the Downing Street cat, listening to his new housemate and thinking: “A new Prime Minister has arrived – Andy. Should I remember him or not?”
In many ways, this reflects the Kremlin’s own uncertainty over Andy Burnham’s elevation, and whether it actually changes anything as far as Russia is concerned, or if it just means a new face backing old policies.
In the lead-up to Burnham being sworn in, the Russian media – so often keen to attack what it presents as an implacably hostile British state – was surprisingly careful and polite, sticking to reporting the facts and not even going on the offensive over his statements of support for Ukraine.
Shorts
Indeed, before Monday, the main story the Russian press was covering was the expectation that Burnham would give the green light to further North Sea oil and gas drilling.
