# Can the ‘Burnham bounce’ survive reality?

An episode of [The Story](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1501716010), 2 Sep 2026, 23 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/storiesofourtimes/e/6a9726e1a4a22c5817e580ab/media.mp3

Andy Burnham faced parliament for the first time as prime minister on Tuesday. He’s spent the summer projecting a sunny, optimistic vision of Britain’s future – but how long can the good vibes last as Burnham faces the cold, hard realities of governing? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Leo Danczak, Jennifer Kennedy. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Keir Starmer’s final U-turn gives Andy Burnham an early headache Further listening: The impossible dilemma of early release Clips: BBC, Parliament TV, Andy Burnham via TikTok, Number 10, Channel 4, Sky News, CNBC, The Mirror. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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