Quentin Letts delivers a scathing sketch of Andy Burnham's first Prime Minister's Questions, describing the new premier's performance as sluggish and dull rather than commanding. Rather than the usual debutant error of rushing through answers, Burnham was criticised for the opposite fault: speaking too slowly and vaguely, dragging what should have been a brisk session into a drawn-out, listless affair. Letts argues this matters because new prime ministers are typically expected to project authority and confidence, and Burnham's flat, consensus-seeking manner left MPs and observers underwhelmed on his defining first appearance.

The session with Kemi Badenoch ran to 18 minutes, nearly double the norm, and the overall 30-minute slot stretched to 44 minutes, filled with what Letts calls civil-service-style waffle. Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle urged Burnham to speed up without effect, while Labour MPs, including Chris Bryant and John Grady, appeared visibly restless or bored, and even Liberal Democrat onlookers seemed deflated. Letts contrasts Burnham unfavourably with past leaders such as Tony Blair, David Cameron and Theresa May, arguing that his eagerness to agree with backbenchers and avoid confrontation signals a weakness unsuited to the combative culture of the Commons.