Columnist Andrew Neil argues that Andy Burnham, who becomes Britain's 59th prime minister on Monday, holds an unusually weak claim to democratic legitimacy. Burnham took over as Labour leader after ousting Keir Starmer without facing a leadership contest, hustings or public scrutiny, and never stood in the general election that brought the government to power, instead entering Parliament via a contrived by-election in northern England fought outside Labour's 2024 manifesto.

Neil notes that while mid-term prime ministerial handovers are common in British politics, with eight such transitions in the 20th century and Burnham now the sixth in the first 26 years of this century, Burnham's case is exceptional because he avoided rigorous interviews (bar one difficult BBC Newsnight appearance), instead opting for a softer chat with pundit Gary Lineker. With his government due to take office within 48 hours, key policy positions on the economy, defence and foreign affairs remain unknown, as does the make-up of his Cabinet, despite Burnham insisting he "has a plan".