Burnham’s Promises Vs TikToks

Burnham: prime minister, TikTok sensation and arguably the only man who has managed to turn political campaigning into a social media career whilst running the country. But while his online presence consistently attracts attention and views, one question remains: is he spending more time making these promises rather than actually delivering them?

The use of Burnham’s TikTok is actually quite refreshing as he is managing to engage successfully with younger generations – as I am sure all of us have seen his face on our For You Page. This is making politics so much more accessible but millions of views isn’t going to solve anything. From cheaper public transport to tackling homelessness and the cost of living. Burnham’s promises are certainly ambitious. But are they actually working well? Has there been a sign of any improvement?

Let’s start with the cost of the pint. In July 2026, Burnham announced a 20% reduction in business rates for pubs and music venues estimating that a pub would save around £1000 a year. Did this actually make the pint cheaper? No. This scheme didn’t directly reduce the price that customers pay for drinks, which is what many people believed would happen. In fact the cost of a pint has actually increased from £5.17 to £5.34 from last year.

One scheme that Andy Burnham has been very keen about is capping the bus fares at £2, after previously successfully carrying it out in Greater Manchester. The scheme is set to return nationally in January 2027, helping to tackle the cost of living crisis reducing the fares from £3 to £2 after Starmer’s government increased them in 2025. Another part of this cost of living crisis scheme, Burnham announced that he would cut VATs from household electricity bills, reducing the energy price cap by £45 a year. Despite the tax reduction, the overall price cap still increased by 4% in October due to rising wholesale energy prices, particularly gas. Burnham describes this as giving the population ‘breathing space’, these savings will help with the cost of living and they are a step in the right direction for the future.

One unusual issue that Andy Burnham has chosen to tackle is people playing music out loud on public transport. While it may not be the biggest issue facing the country, it is certainly one we can all relate to. Nobody wants to listen to someone else’s music or TikTok but perhaps there are bigger issues that deserve more of his attention.

So, is Andy Burnham the man of the moment , or a man we cannot escape from our feeds? Burnham has certainly mastered the art of making politics entertaining, and his TikTok’s are worth the watch, but perhaps we should start judging him more on than just the videos themselves, as for many, it can be one of their main news/ politics feeds.