Ruthless plotter or dad dancer? Insiders reveal the real Andy Burnham
A portrait of Andy Burnham assembled from two dozen insiders — charming, ambitious, genuinely liked, and still largely unreadable as a prime minister.
He looks cuddly to the public but he is a total hammer.
An insider splits Burnham's public warmth from a privately ruthless, forceful character.
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Andy? He's like a lorry on ice.
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Wanting to be liked when you are prime minister can be a distraction — it can be destabilising when the inevitable happens and you are not popular.
A source flags that Burnham's need for approval could become a liability once he faces inevitable unpopularity in office.
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It feels like a family wedding — but it depends what happens after. Andy can't just give the love to everyone.
A supporter cautions that the goodwill of a leadership launch cannot survive if Burnham keeps trying to please everybody.
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We've set the bar so low removing Starmer over bad poll ratings — now Andy's set expectations too high for himself. He has always made a grand entrance.
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