Andy Burnham's social media push reaches majority of young voters
Andy Burnham's social media strategy is reaching over half of 18-24 year olds, outpacing rival leaders.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Andy Burnham is winning the battle for attention online, with new figures showing his social media content is reaching more than half of 18 to 24-year-olds. The same data puts Nigel Farage at 23% and Zak Polanski at 16% for the same age group, suggesting Burnham's approach is cutting through where others are not.
The strategy is a deliberate one. Burnham has been appearing on podcasts with the word 'fail' in the title, comparing pub snacks with John Healey, calling a bread roll a barm, and teaming up with content creators. The aim is to engage young people on platforms they already use, rather than expecting them to come to traditional political broadcasts.
Behind the rise is Abby Tomlinson, who as a 17-year-old student created the 'Millie Fandom' around Ed Miliband in 2015. That movement, led by teenage girls who treated Miliband like a pop star, was a precursor to what is happening now. Tomlinson is now helping to propel Burnham's popularity online, with young Labour Party members producing content that gets significant traction. One video has received over 100,000 likes.
Supporters argue that Burnham is meeting people on their level, not as an aloof, bureaucratic prime minister, but as someone who genuinely talks to people and understands what they are going through. One person who met him said he is exactly the same in real life.
But the approach carries risks. Zak Polanski, the Green Party leader, was criticised after sharing an Instagram post that included an image of a man wearing a t-shirt showing a guillotine alongside the words 'we're only making plans for Nigel'. Polanski said he shared a selection of images without realising the content and has since removed it. Polling suggests the public think he should have apologised more fully and quickly.
Experts say the high risk, high reward nature of the strategy means errors need to be corrected fast. Part of putting out lots of content is that some of it will not land, and that is fine if there is one 'banger' for every five duds. There is space for experimentation, and other parties will have to learn from Burnham's approach.
The real test will come at the next election, when it will become clear whether online engagement can turn into actual votes.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| Abby Tomlinson, who created the Millie Fandom for Ed Miliband in 2015, is now helping to boost Andy Burnham's online popularity. | |
| More than half of 18 to 24-year-olds see Andy Burnham's social media content, compared to 23% for Nigel Farage and 16% for Zak Polanski. | |
| Zak Polanski was criticised for sharing an Instagram post with a guillotine image and has since removed it. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused on Andy Burnham's social media success, comparing his reach among young voters to other leaders and examining the strategy behind it. The report highlighted the role of Abby Tomlinson and the Millie Fandom legacy, as well as the risks of online engagement, using Zak Polanski's recent misstep as a cautionary tale.
- “Is Andy Burnham winning the battle for attention online? In one word, yes.”
- “More than half of 18 to 24-year-olds are seeing the new prime minister's content on social media.”
- “It is a high risk, high reward strategy, I think.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.