Mr Blue Sky won’t shine forever: Beware Andy Burnham, the storm clouds are coming, writes Andy Coulson

The Sun has shone (when it’s not been eclipsed) and the heatwave honeymoon is set to continue for a while yet.

Against this glorious backdrop, Andy Burnham’s social media blitz feels in touch and pretty savvy. His team have gone all in on TikTok and Instagram and Andy has taken a very particular - and so far effective - approach to his comms.

Some of it is a bit superficial for my old-school tastes, but a lot of it has been impactful and even at times moving.

His podcast interview with Elizabeth Day, where he discussed his father’s Alzheimer’s, was a deeply emotional and engaging piece of content that properly cut through.

The PM is a good communicator and clearly loves the process, which, as anyone in the business of reputation will know, is half the battle.

But if I were back in the old job I’d be anxious. Because this period of positive coverage - whatever the data says - is unsustainable.

When the inevitable s*** sandwich lands on the PM's desk - maybe in a week, maybe on a wet Wednesday in October - his current strategy will be vulnerable.

There are hard truths coming. In the end, he will be judged on the economy - and whichever way he jumps, there are trapdoors waiting. Second, we just don’t like unelected PMs in Britain and that’s a problem that charm can’t solve. And three, there will be a sticky, challenging crisis that’s impossible to plan for because there always is. Maybe it’ll be related to the prison release farrago, maybe it’ll be economic or maybe it’ll be entirely self-inflicted. But it’s coming and when it does, TikTok ain’t going to help you.

In fact, popping up there will make you look out of touch and just a touch self-obsessed.

There was a warning sign this past week. In an otherwise quite engaging piece of ‘impromptu’ No10 content,  the PM had a surprise chat with his former Cambridge University lecturer - all nicely timed for A Level results day. Andy looked genuinely shocked to find this fella sat in the No10 Thatcher study, which is a stone’s throw from the PM’s office.

Set aside how implausible that is, where Andy slipped up was in asking his team ‘Did you capture that?’ as the filming finished. A small but revealing moment that suggests that Andy loves this social malarkey just a bit too much.

So my advice to Burnham’s comms team (that they’re not asking for) is… start prepping now for the coming weather change. Because it’s coming, and you'll have to turn to traditional media to help get you through, so make sure you show them a bit of love and respect.

Or maybe you’re alive to the ‘unelected PM’ virus and have in mind Farage’s deep troubles and Kemi’s so far slow-moving campaign. And an early election is actually what sits behind this  ‘I’m Andy, try me’ blitz.

In which case, crack on and hope that your Mr Blue Sky can pull it off before the clouds gather.

____________________

Andy Coulson is Founder of Coulson Partners and host of the podcast Crisis What Crisis.

LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.

To contact us email opinion@lbc.co.uk