Policy platform will define whether Burnham is a success or not with electorate desperate for change
The past week has been a perfect illustration of how quickly things can change in politics. Sir Keir Starmer was resolute about staying on as leader of the Labour party and as Prime Minister and Andy Burnham had only just learned that he would be the next MP for Makerfield.
But on Monday it was clear that Starmer will not see through the end of his term and Burnham is measuring up the curtains for 10 Downing Street.
While Starmer can take some credit - he did indeed deliver a majority for Labour, having turned a party in turmoil around, and there have been signs of the economy steadying - the public clearly have not been pleased with either the changes being offered, the speed that they are being delivered at or even both.
That is why Burnham, fresh off a successful tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester, needs to work fast.
A lot of the talk has been about who Burnham will appoint to his Cabinet. But the reality is that it doesn’t matter who is sitting on the frontbench but rather what policies are being put to the public.
The restive nature of the electorate is neatly summed up by the fact that Downing Street’s resident mouser has outlasted six Prime Ministers in under ten years.
Therefore the next PM cannot afford to turn up to Number 10 with a hollow policy platform littered with platitudes.
Earlier this week, The Yorkshire Post posited that Burnham could prove to be a good PM for the North of England, given his understanding of the challenges the region faces. However, his in tray shows that Burnham will be under pressure from day one.