Andy Burnham must prove he’s more than Mr Nice Guy – crunch Budget is make-or-break

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British voters believe the economy is collapsing and things are only going to get worse. But while they think Andy Burnham is a nice guy who wants to help, they don’t have any confidence in him to make a difference. These are the findings of a major new survey published in the run-up to the forthcoming Budget – the first with Mr Burnham as Prime Minister. It illustrates the challenge facing the PM and his Chancellor, John Healey . Voters are terrified, and perhaps they should be.

All the signs are that 2027 is going to be an even more miserable year than 2026, at least as far as our wallets are concerned. Inflation will go up, with the cost of food rising fastest thanks to this year’s heatwave, the El Niño weather phenomenon – which will push temperatures up again next year – and the ongoing conflict in the Gulf, which pushes up energy costs for farmers and other businesses. Energy bills are expected to continue rising, adding to hikes in the cost of gas and electricity.

And mortgage payments will rise as interest rates creep upwards. But it seems that Mr Burnham’s man-of-the-people act has its drawbacks. Yes, he’s an ordinary bloke, unlike a lot of politicians. He likes a pint, loves football and, like many middle-aged people today, still listens to the music that was popular in his younger days. However, voters aren’t convinced he’s tough enough to make a difference. The Budget, although it will be delivered by his hand-picked Chancellor, is his chance to persuade the British public otherwise.

And it may be his only chance. First impressions stick. A major new poll by More in Common shows just how British voters feel. Four in 10 believe the economy is in a recession. Economists will tell you this is not correct, but the point is that people feel things are going downhill. The good news for Mr Burnham is that five in 10 people actually believed the UK was in a recession a year ago. So public opinion may be moving in the right direction for Labour, but it is still dire.

And there is little confidence in the Prime Minister. Half of voters think Mr Burnham does care about the cost of living for people like them – but only 29% feel optimistic that he will manage to bring down the cost of living, while 44% are pessimistic. This helps explain why Nigel Farage and Reform UK are focusing more attention on the economy, and this week published 60 policies they claim will get British people feeling upbeat again.

Measures include approving more oil and gas drilling, making it possible to build new runways at Gatwick and Heathrow, and sweeping away red tape that stops people building houses, factories and more on unused industrial land, once it is cleaned up. Mr Farage said: “It’s clear that urgent action is required. Reform’s proposals will create a vibrant, growing private sector that delivers well-paid jobs for British citizens.” Labour, of course, will set out its own vision in the Budget this week.

Mr Burnham urgently needs to convince a gloomy British public that he’s more than just a nice guy and that he has a real plan to end the UK’s slow economic meltdown.

Read the original article on express.co.uk

What we found (3)

The Express opens by telling readers that British voters believe the economy is collapsing, when the poll it cites shows four in 10 think the UK is in recession, down from five in 10 a year earlier. It then adds its own verdicts in loaded words, calling voters terrified, Burnham's manner an act and the economy a meltdown, even though its own text says economists reject the recession claim.

Uses figures that mislead
Minor
“British voters believe the economy is collapsing and things are only going to get worse.”
Why this matters
The Express opens by saying British voters as a whole believe the economy is collapsing, and S3 presents this as the survey's finding.
The impression it gives
A reader believes most voters think the economy is in freefall and that the mood is getting darker.
The context
The poll the article cites shows a minority, four in 10, believe the UK is in recession. That share has fallen from five in 10 a year ago, and the article itself says opinion is moving in the right direction. A minority share is passed off as the view of voters in general, and an improving trend is told as one that is worsening.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“Four in 10 believe the economy is in a recession.”
- Elsewhere in the article“five in 10 people actually believed the UK was in a recession a year ago”
- Elsewhere in the article“public opinion may be moving in the right direction for Labour”
Show it in the article
Uses a loaded word
Minor
“the UK’s slow economic meltdown”
Why this matters
In its own voice the Express calls the state of the economy a meltdown.
The impression it gives
A reader believes the economy is collapsing as a matter of fact.
The context
The article itself says economists reject the claim that the UK is in recession. It reports the public's gloom as a feeling, not as an economic fact.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“Economists will tell you this is not correct”
Show it in the article
“Voters are terrified, and perhaps they should be.”
Why this matters
The Express calls voters terrified and then endorses that fear in its own voice.
The impression it gives
A reader believes the poll found the public terrified.
The context
The poll figures given are about recession beliefs and optimism on the cost of living: 29% optimistic and 44% pessimistic. No figure in the article measures fear or terror.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“only 29% feel optimistic that he will manage to bring down the cost of living”
Show it in the article
“man-of-the-people act”
Why this matters
The word act casts Burnham's manner as a performance.
The impression it gives
A reader believes Burnham's ordinary persona is put on.
The context
Nothing in the article backs the idea that it is a pretence. The next sentence calls him an ordinary bloke.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“he’s an ordinary bloke, unlike a lot of politicians”
Show it in the article
One side gets the space
Minor
“Reform’s proposals will create a vibrant, growing private sector that delivers well-paid jobs for British citizens.”
Why this matters
The Express gives Nigel Farage a direct quote on his party's economic plans, along with a list of its measures.
The impression it gives
A reader hears Reform's pitch in its own words, while the government and Labour get no voice of their own.
The context
No Labour or government figure is quoted on the Budget. Labour gets only a line that it will set out its vision. Other coverage quoted ministers and others before the Budget.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“Labour, of course, will set out its own vision”
- Daily Mirror reported“people need breathing space and so do British businesses”Andy Burnham's first Budget must be 'turning point' for Britain, union chief demands (opens in a new tab)
Show it in the article

How other outlets reported it

Daily MirrorAndy Burnham's first Budget must be 'turning point' for Britain, union chief demands (opens in a new tab)

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Andy Burnham must prove he’s more than Mr Nice Guy – crunch Budget is make-or-break

Uses figures that mislead

Uses a loaded word

One side gets the space

How other outlets reported it

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