The key questions which remain after Burnham’s first week

This week has been a solid enough start by Andy Burnham and his new team. His fitness for the highest office remains unproven, of course, given the circumstances in which he came to power. He will also learn the ability of his words to shift markets – and he will need to be cautious about (soft) launching new policies without explaining how they will be paid for. Expect ructions. There is only so much you can do outside of a formal Budget, which is not expected until October. Yet Burnham and his team in Downing Street have navigated their way through the initial blizzard of ministerial appointments, phone calls with world leaders, media encounters, and opening their new Manchester office, No 10 North. On to the substance: the challenges faced by Burnham and Britain are well known to us all, as are the opportunities. Building early momentum and delivering policy changes that can be felt in people’s everyday lives (and their wallets) is crucial for the new Prime Minister, who needs to buy time. He can reflect on a positive first week – while acknowledging just how much he and his team have to learn, how little they have told us about their plans for governing – with humility for the task ahead. So our questions for Andy Burnham remain the same after one week. What are you going to do as Prime Minister? How are you going to ignite economic growth, and create new wealth? Where do you intend to invest? Can you reconcile your desire to be liked with the need to choose losers as well as winners? (The essence of politics.) Where will you cut spending to create wriggle room and help you deliver on your bolder promises?