The Story

Can the ‘Burnham bounce’ survive reality?

Mittwoch, 2. September 2026 · 23 min

MP3

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Andy Burnham faced parliament for the first time as prime minister on Tuesday. He’s spent the summer projecting a sunny, optimistic vision of Britain’s future – but how long can the good vibes last as Burnham faces the cold, hard realities of governing?

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Guest: Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producers: Micaela Arneson, Leo Danczak, Jennifer Kennedy.
We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Keir Starmer’s final U-turn gives Andy Burnham an early headache (thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmer-…)
Further listening: The impossible dilemma of early release (pod.fo/e/534e11)
Clips: BBC, Parliament TV, Andy Burnham via TikTok, Number 10, Channel 4, Sky News, CNBC, The Mirror.
Photo: Getty Images.

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