In an apparent attempt to differentiate himself from his humourless predecessor, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has drawn ridicule for his try-hard “gimmicks” as he attempts to ingratiate himself with the public after coming to power in a Westminster coup rather than popular support.
Continuing to craft his ‘man of the people’ persona, the Cambridge-educated veteran political insider Andy Burnham released multiple comedic sketches this week as he unveiled his new offices at “Number 10 North” in Manchester were he will split his time with his offices at 10 Downing Street, the traditional seat of power for the British government in London.
Burnham has insisted that Number 10 North is not a mere publicity stunt but will transform the way the government operates and coincide with resources and manpower being diverted from London to the rest of the country.
“It’s not just a new office – through this place power is going to flow, energy is going to flow, new ideas are going to come through.”
However, while the new PM has insisted on the seriousness of his cause, the launch of the new office was accompanied by social media sketches, including one in which Number 10 North is featured as the location in a mock version of The Office opening credits. Curiously, the sketch featured the theme song of the U.S. version of the hit sitcom rather than that of the original British show.
The video, shared on Downing Street’s official Instagram account, received mixed reviews, with many accusing the new government of belittling the serious work of the state and its impact on people’s lives. Others used the opportunity to mock the new Prime Minsiter, with one quipping: “I’d rather have David Brent running the country.”
Another said: “So you use the office gimmick as a promo video… a programme about an incompetent boss…”
The theme song was followed by another video in which Burnham appears to be riffing on the role of Steve Carrel’s Michael Scott character in The Office, giving a tour of Number 10 North, concluding with the gag that he was watching tutorials on how to make a cup of tea.
One user responded on X: “This clown administration is just a giant psyop to distract from the real issues, such as the invasion [and] economic destruction of Britain.”
The very concept of Number 10 North has also drawn some pushback, with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch describing it as a “gimmick”, explaining that it “does not make decision-making any better, it’s just creating another branch of the civil service in a different place”.
Burnham’s first week in power has been heavy on style, with the new PM taking the novel approach of appearing without a lectern for his first address to the nation, as legacy news media reporters speculated on how often he would appear in public in his hipster blazer and t-shirt uniform rather than a suit and tie.
While he appears to be benefiting from a honeymoon period, it remains to be seen how long the public will tolerate political antics in lieu of addressing the major issues facing the country, such as the illegal migrant crisis or the near-record tax burden imposed on the public.
Burnham is likely already on thin political ice, given that he was installed as prime minister this week after the government turned on former PM Sir Keir Starmer following a disastrous performance in May’s local elections.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage — the big winner of the elections — has argued that because Burnham did not run on the 2024 Labour Party platform and received only 25,000 votes in a special election in Makerfield before becoming prime minister, he has no political legitimacy or mandate to govern.
The Reform boss has therefore demanded that Burnham call for an early snap general election to see which vision of the future of the country is preferred.
Follow Kurt Zindulka on X: Follow @KurtZindulka or e-mail to: [email protected]
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