A Daily Mail podcast episode sees political editor James Tapsfield give a sceptical assessment of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's cabinet appointments, including his choice of Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary, whom Tapsfield describes as coming across like "an alien wearing human skin". The commentary matters because it questions whether Burnham's top team is suited to the demands of government, at a moment when he is trying to establish credibility as Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade.

Burnham became Prime Minister this week, pitching his government as a "circuit breaker" after the political instability that has followed the 2016 Brexit vote. Tapsfield's Deep Dive podcast analysis also questions the economics behind Burnham's early "feel good" giveaways, amid separate reporting that a further million workers will pay income tax this year after Burnham reversed a planned personal allowance increase. The article is presented as a promotional write-up accompanying the podcast episode, titled "Will Burnham Outlast Starmer?".