UK PM Andy Burnham shifts focus to TikTok and podcasts in social media push

Whether he is pulling a pint, tossing a builder’s helmet in the air or running with Olympic medallist Mo Farah, the UK’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has embraced social media with a deft touch.

As well as putting out videos on his own accounts on X and TikTok, he has sought to broaden his audience by appearing on entertainment channels run by creators with large followings.

Compared with predecessor Keir Starmer, “Burnham has a far more astute communications team around him” with a “better grasp of the media environment”, said Steven Buckley, a lecturer in digital media sociology at City St George’s, University of London.

During his first speech outside No 10 Downing Street, Burnham addressed a crowd including teenage influencers invited because they make TikTok clips about Labour politics.

Soon after opening a separate office in his native northern England he gave an interview there to Elizabeth Day, a writer, whose podcast How to Fail invites celebrities to reflect on mistakes they have made.