Andy Burnham, known as the 'King of the North,' has become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, but Londoners are largely unfamiliar and skeptical of the former Greater Manchester mayor. Many in the capital view him as just another Labour politician, with some recognizing him only as 'that mayor from Manchester' or a former Tony Blair cabinet member.
Londoners Question Burnham's Mandate
Andrew Hawes, a 68-year-old wine merchant from Lambeth, said: 'We know little about him. I know he used to be an MP and mayor of Manchester. We read a lot in the papers about him. They say business people are worried about what he will do and that he wants to devolve power. It's all the left-wing thing he's doing – if you read the media that's the case anyway. I think generally people are worried he might ignore London and the city. There is a lot of unknowns. He hasn't stated a lot of policies and Labour was brought in on a mandate for Starmer, not Burnham.'
Lambeth, a London borough where Labour recently lost control to the Greens, residents along Lower Marsh remained unconvinced. Marion Ross, 88, from South Bank, said: 'We want a general election. This guy has come from up north, he's been put in and we don't know what he stands for or what his manifesto is. Everyone I talk to in London feels the same on this. I think our country is going down the toilet. He shouldn't be shoed in with no mandate from the country. There are more than 400 MPs but they have to bring someone else in. We thought Elvis had come back to the building because he was waved in like a celebrity.'
Her husband James, 87, added that a Prime Minister being installed after securing election in Makerfield with just under 25,000 votes was not democratic — a sentiment widely shared among Londoners.
Uncertainty Over Policies
Polly Smith, walking her dog Frodo, said: 'We just don't know what he's about. You got to know him well with the mayoralty in Manchester, but we're waiting to see what he's going to do. It's like watch this space, because we're completely in the unknown. I hope it'll be better than before. We're much more cautious about it than maybe the north is. It's all rather odd because this is our Prime Minister but it's all done without a mandate. At least with Rishi Sunak coming in after Boris Johnson we knew what we were getting. Does he have to stick by the Labour manifesto or doesn't he? Will he just tear it up, stick with what Starmer said, or do something completely different?'
Roger Bristow, 75, from Lambeth, added: 'Life goes on whatever, it doesn't matter who's in Number 10 as they'll do whatever they want. I've not seen what he stands for, so it's sort of unknown.'
Mary King said: 'I didn't like the way it was done. I don't know much about Burnham but I know people like him, but others say he takes credit for ideas that weren't his. He's good at making people feel positive without any detail. If you listen to what he's been saying it's all been quite vague. I think the five Prime Ministers in four years shows people not being realistic about the issues we have. You can't have everything you want. We need to focus on our priorities. I want Burnham to say what the problems are, the choices we have to make and stop flip flopping and messing around.'
Younger Voters More Optimistic
However, younger voters appear more optimistic. Publican Susannah Bond, 29, said: 'My boyfriend is big on him and we've watched some of the interviews online. A lot of it is quite funny. My friends live in Manchester and they're big on him as well. I feel quite positive about him as he will be a bit of fresh air. I think it's about his background and how he's come into politics that I like. He's a bit more grounded and he's more relatable as well. He's doing it because he cares about people and the country rather than seeing it as a career. I prefer him to Starmer. I think London gets a lot of attention so change could be good.'
Konstantin Mikhaav, 32, originally from Kazakhstan, who regularly travels to the UK for work, said: 'I've been all over the country and Manchester is a lot better for me. I felt more welcome there. I think it would be good for Andy Burnham to bring a bit of Manchester to London. I've worked here five years and every year I don't feel the country gets better. Every year it gets harder and harder for people financially. I do think politicians do have to change but this is too much. I can't keep track of what is happening and who is in charge.'
While Andy Burnham may enjoy enthusiastic support from northern voters, he still has considerable ground to cover in winning over Londoners.
