Andy Burnham's New Fanbase
Andy Burnham, the newly appointed Prime Minister, has sparked a wave of admiration not just for his politics but for his appearance. Known as the 'King of the North', Burnham moved from Manchester to Downing Street in a black tee, drawing comparisons to past 'dishy' PMs like Rishi Sunak and Tony Blair. Social media users have dubbed him the 'Manchester Mogger', slang for being stoic and attractive, and even 'Brat', a term popularized by Charli XCX.
Social Media Frenzy
TikTok is flooded with fan edits set to Oasis hits and Lana Del Rey's 'Ultraviolence'. One account, @baledfx, declared 'FIT PMS ARE OFFICIALLY BACK', while others focus on his eyelashes, reminiscent of his lockdown press conferences. A 2020 tweet asked, 'Do I fancy Andy Burnham now or am I just having a breakdown?' This isn't new: Ed Miliband had the #milifandom in 2015, and Keir Starmer was rumored to inspire Bridget Jones's Mark Darcy.
Why the Attraction?
According to psychotherapist Georgina Sturmer, this is a parasocial relationship. 'We project assumptions onto public figures,' she says. Power also plays a role: 'We might find a powerful person attractive because they could protect us.' Eloise Skinner adds that evolution draws us to leaders with competence and resilience. Shared values matter too: a 2021 YouGov survey found 53% of Labour-voting women wouldn't date someone with different political views.
Political Change as Attraction
Burnham represents change, which Skinner says 'can be mixed with hope and optimism.' Whether this translates into political success remains to be seen.
