Since taking office as the United Kingdom’s prime minister earlier this week, Andy Burnham has adopted a markedly different approach to political communication through social media, favouring a more informal and interactive style compared to his predecessor Keir Starmer. Burnham’s team has focused heavily on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, utilising vertical video formats and collaboration with influencers to engage a broader and younger audience.

Burnham’s social media activity has included a range of content, from policy announcements to informal interactions, often incorporating memes and emojis. This strategy has drawn comparisons to Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York, whose digital communication style similarly blends authentic engagement with creative content. Observers note that Burnham’s debut week featured a surge in public interest, with TikTok searches for his name increasing by more than 2,000% as he assumed office.

On his first day in office, Burnham shared a handheld video outside The Passage, a London-based homelessness charity, where he pledged to address homelessness and rough sleeping promptly. A montage posted later highlighted moments from his day, including meetings with his cabinet and a speech outside Number 10 Downing Street, garnering over 820,000 views. Further expanding his digital reach, Burnham participated in videos with celebrities such as former marathon runner Mo Farah, joining him for a jog through London in Farah’s YouTube series "Run With Mo," content also shared with Farah’s substantial Instagram following.

Burnham’s team strategically leveraged viral trends to broaden his appeal. Notably, he appeared in the “Career Ladder” series hosted by Ukrainian internet personality Max Klymenko, who commands over nine million followers on TikTok. Political communication experts suggest that these collaborations help construct a sense of authenticity for Burnham’s brand, although the prime minister faces the challenge of maintaining engagement over time.

One of Burnham’s standout posts announced plans to reduce VAT on energy bills, a video that attracted more than one million views. However, some commentators noted its resemblance to a previous video by Mamdani, particularly the opening gesture where Burnham taps the camera and steps back, a format Mamdani employed earlier in the year to announce a tax policy. While some praised Burnham for adopting creative digital strategies, others offered cautionary advice. Debbie Saslaw, co-founder of a political advertising agency, urged Burnham to avoid overusing Instagram meme trends, warning that such content risks appearing “cringe” if not carefully managed.

By midweek, Burnham’s TikTok presence expanded further with a video promoting a £2 bus fare, which became his most popular post, registering more than two million views and 240,000 likes. Within his first week as prime minister, his TikTok following grew from just under 99,000 to over 170,000, reflecting an approximate 73% increase. His engagement rate on the platform slightly surpassed that of Starmer’s in his initial week in office.

While Burnham’s digital approach has been described as genuine and ambitious, some analysts suggest that sustaining public interest will require substantive policy action. Andrew Bard Epstein, communications director for Mamdani’s campaign, acknowledged Burnham’s authentic style but pointed to the need for bolder initiatives addressing issues such as concentrated power and social inequality to match the scale of the challenges facing the country.