A PR take on the missing lectern, gestures and post-speech reaction: Andy Burnham’s first address as PM

On Monday, Andy Burnham completed the remarkable, completely unprecedented rise from Greater Manchester mayor to MP to PM in the space of a month. After visiting the King, he arrived at Downing Street to give his first official speech as leader of the UK government. 

His grand plans for decentralisation and a No 10 North stand in stark contrast to those of his predecessors – as does the vagueness and uncertainty still surrounding many policies – but even the way he delivered his speech was a differentiator from those who came before him. Here are some highlights.

The (most talked-about) absence of a lectern 

Burnham’s first address as prime minister is possibly the most attention the lack of a lectern has ever received. There was, of course, sound judgement behind the move: removing the lectern and physically exposing the space around him metaphorically opens himself up to the public; a ‘relatable’ politician depicting himself as an alternative to the establishment. The symbolism is apparent for all to see. 

What it also provided was more space for gestures and speaking ‘to the room’. Some notable examples: 

Rating his actions…

• The start: a fist pump, a beaming smile with a nod and a kiss blown to his supporters followed by a prayer sign. It felt like he’d just won an Oscar, and for him, becoming PM will feel like the equivalent. A man of the people? Or a performative guise? Impact tbc. 

• “And we will take power out of here”, Burnham said, arms spread out, hands gesturing up at the sky to emphasise the very spot he was standing in on Downing Street, “and carry it into every postcode in the land”, his hands now pushing out, illustrating the decentralisation of power to come. A nice use of physical gestures to accentuate his message. 

• The majority of the speech was spent looking from left to right at the crowd in front of him, again to indicate an inclusive, welcoming approach. However, some potency achieved from a direct address down the lens was lost. 

…and the LinkedIn reaction

Entirely ironic given this blog, and maybe that’s the point, but the stream of analysis online on the speech makes for an entertaining read. One post breaks down the length of time his hands are clasped together and what fingers he is holding. There’s analysis and then there’s overanalysing every detail that makes him human? 

Comments on the post clash between speech perfectionists and those who simply see him as a human being, slightly nervous, delivering a speech from memory – but again, perhaps the latter was by design. Funnily enough, during the BBC coverage, his hands were covered by the breaking news banner stretching across the screen. Confidence matters, but really, it’s about keepin’ it real.

The wider point: matching delivery with action

How a speech is delivered can have a real visceral impact on how a person receives the words and what they take from them. Comms professionals are always taught that 90% of information (i.e. the message) transmitted to the brain is visual. Yet there is a line to tread: too polished, too staged and people will see through the façade of the delivery. 

Burnham holds more of the gift of the gab than his predecessors, and that can get you far, galvanising people to buy into a project. But certain controversies – North Sea drilling, the Home Secretary appointment – are already bubbling up to the surface, demonstrating the pitfalls that lie ahead.

After the dust has settled, it’s the language and messages from the speech that will be picked apart. And unless ‘the gab’ is backed up by policies that deliver change, his words could end up resembling hollow vessels leading to an all-too-familiar outcome.