DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Andy Burnham is dispensing largesse in every direction imaginable, but he needs to realise that there's more to being Prime Minister than spending public money

Published: 17:55, 31 July 2026 | Updated: 17:55, 31 July 2026 Behaving like some sort of demented philanthropist is hardly a good look for a prime minister. Yet that is exactly how Andy Burnham has appeared as he raced around Britain dispensing largesse – our largesse – in every direction imaginable over recent days. For his latest stunt, he only just stopped short of stuffing wads of £20 notes into the breast pockets of regional mayors. It came as part of an ever-expanding list of promised giveaways such as cut-price bus fares, lower energy bills, four-figure bursaries for apprenticeships and a 20 per cent reduction in business rates for pubs. With virtually all these announcements, there has been a worrying absence of detail. It has become increasingly clear as the days have passed that the Prime Minister isn’t going to give himself any grey hairs by getting into the minutiae of it all. Nor does his broad-brushstrokes approach stop with a lack of clarity about the extent, timeframe and logistics of these plans. We are also largely in the dark about the funding for any of his pet projects. Yet if there is reason for concern over the PM’s refusal to spell out where the money is coming from in these instances, his nonchalant attitude to the very substantial issues facing the nation is even more troubling. With official figures showing that the welfare bill outstripped the amount raised through income tax in the last fiscal year, it is clear the Benefits Street culture nurtured under Labour cannot be allowed to continue any longer. Yet there is nothing to suggest that Mr Burnham has any inclination at all – let alone the gumption – to cut hard and deep into the nation’s handouts. There is nothing to suggest that Andy Burnham has any inclination at all – let alone the gumption – to cut hard and deep into the nation’s welfare handouts Nor has the PM offered any comfort to hard-pressed taxpayers in the few words he has uttered about the other major issue of our times – illegal migration. It was concerning enough that he failed to even broach the subject during his first week in office, but the casual nature of his observations when he finally did speak was even more disturbing. There is certainly no indication Mr Burnham fully appreciates that the emergence of so-called ‘mega-dinghies’ introduces a whole new dimension to the Channel crisis. Nor, in his remarks yesterday as tens of thousands of African migrants descended on Spain, did he sound like a man with a workable plan to deal with the obvious implications for Britain. His refusal to commit to the 2030 target for 3 per cent of GDP on military spending shows a cavalier mindset regarding the defence of the realm. On a range of other serious topics – from wildfires to BP’s decision to put its North Sea business up for sale – we either have only the vaguest inkling of the PM’s thoughts or no idea at all. It has taken just two short weeks in Downing Street – and, of course, No 10 North - for Mr Burnham’s limitations to emerge. Given his background as a glorified council boss with a very generous budget at his disposal, it is unsurprising that he wallows in adulation. But as the leader of a great nation, he will find the popularity he craves in short supply if voters suspect he has effectively been promoted above his station. Whether or not he is completely out of his depth will become clear soon enough. But if Mr Burnham wants to keep his job for any length of time, he needs to learn that it involves rather more than throwing other people’s money around.