UK PM Andy Burnham shifts focus to TikTok and podcasts in social media push
The British prime minister is bypassing traditional outlets with deft digital strategy, sparking praise from young voters and pushback from legacy media
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.
