“It’s the pinnacle of guitar music.” Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham is a fan of The Smiths, The Strokes, The Pogues and The Wedding Present
Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, has been sworn in as Britain's new Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer, whose approval ratings had reportedly fallen to the lowest recorded for any Prime Minister since polling began in 1977. Coverage of Burnham's arrival in Downing Street has highlighted his enthusiasm for guitar music, drawing on a 2022 interview in which he discussed his favourite albums, offering an early glimpse of the incoming leader's personal tastes.
In that interview with music website The Quietus, Burnham, 56, named albums by The Strokes, The Pogues, The Smiths and The Wedding Present among his favourites. He singled out George Best, the 1987 debut album by Leeds indie band The Wedding Present, as "the pinnacle of guitar music", saying he "played this to death" and loved it because it "had everything" for him as a fan of guitar bands.
In short
- Andy Burnham sworn in as UK Prime Minister, succeeding Keir Starmer
- Starmer had record-low approval ratings before leaving office
- Burnham named Smiths, Strokes, Pogues, Wedding Present as favourites
Explained simply
Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, has been sworn in as Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer. Starmer's approval ratings had reportedly fallen to the lowest recorded for any Prime Minister since polling began in 1977, leading to this change of leadership.
With Burnham's arrival at Downing Street, media coverage has highlighted his enthusiasm for guitar music. His musical tastes were revealed in a 2022 interview with music website The Quietus, where he discussed his favourite albums and artists.
In that interview, Burnham named The Smiths, The Strokes, The Pogues and The Wedding Present amongst his favourite acts. He singled out The Wedding Present's 1987 debut album George Best as "the pinnacle of guitar music", describing how he had played the record repeatedly and loved it for containing everything he valued in guitar bands.
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