Andy Burnham gave his first major broadcast interview since becoming Prime Minister, sitting down with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg after weeks in which his social media-driven communications style had earned him comparisons to a "TikTok Prime Minister". The Independent's In The Room podcast examines how he coped with old-fashioned scrutiny on topics including Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and whether he leant too heavily on references to Manchester, questioning whether he is projecting a convincing governing agenda beyond slick messaging.

The episode also covers other developments in Westminster this week, including a surprise government overhaul of technical education policy and a manifesto launch by the satirical candidate Count Binface, which the hosts single out as an unexpectedly clear piece of political communication. The podcast, hosted by the Independent, releases new episodes twice weekly and is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.