World Aug 04, 2026 · 1 min read

Prisoner early release scheme gives Burnham his first taste of unpopularity

After a blitz of small wins, PM is finding that like Keir Starmer there is only so much he can control on the big calls UK politics live – latest updatesIf Andy Burnham wanted to demonstrate he was the anti-Keir Starmer, the first fortnight could not have gone better. Instead of painting a gloomy pi...

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The Guardian
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor
Prisoner early release scheme gives Burnham his first taste of unpopularity

After a blitz of small wins, PM is finding that like Keir Starmer there is only so much he can control on the big calls

If Andy Burnham wanted to demonstrate he was the anti-Keir Starmer, the first fortnight could not have gone better. Instead of painting a gloomy picture of tough times and an economic black hole that would only improve with sacrifices such as cutting winter fuel allowance, Burnham’s first week was a blitz of small wins including cutting bus fares.

But the new prime minister can only control so much. And like Starmer, within his first days in office he found himself facing immediate decisions where every call will make you unpopular. And – like Starmer – blaming your predecessor counts for nothing with an angry public.

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This article was originally published by The Guardian and written by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor.

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