The backdrop to his first few days as prime minister with Westminster in full swing has been the increased cost of borrowing – a global trend but one to which the UK is exposed and which looks likely to limit the chancellor’s room for manoeuvre at the budget come the end of October.
Burnham has promised a transformational government but he’s facing many of the same challenges as Sir Keir Starmer, with difficult decisions on defence spending, welfare and social care – to name just a few – hurtling towards him.
These are the pressure points his political opponents will seek to exploit, as evidenced by Badenoch’s approach at Prime Minister’s Questions when she quizzed him over plans for taxes, spending and borrowing.
Burnham pointed to his early actions in office, cutting VAT on domestic electricity bills and business rates for pubs and music venues as a sign of his priorities, but he gave little more away – leaning back on another familiar refrain that prime ministers don’t write budgets from the despatch box.
In reality, it would be unfair to expect much more in the way of detail about Burnham’s plans for the economy during his very first session of PMQs, but these are questions his government will eventually have to answer.
Burnham’s early weeks in office have seen a definite shift from the style of his predecessor, with his summer tour around the country and heavy social media presence cementing his awareness of the need to improve communications.
He’s made efforts to spell out what his government stands for, with a focus on the cost of living, shifting power out of Westminster and greater public control of essential services.
By his own admission the announcements he’s made so far are just a start.
Now Westminster is back in session there will likely be a clamour for more detail about his planned direction, with today’s Prime Minister’s Questions a taste of what’s the come.
As well as smart communications, the choices the prime minister makes will take careful navigation if he’s to deliver the optimistic future he’s promised.
