Minister forced to deny Andy Burnham is ‘too blokey’ after PM told to tone down beer and football references

A minister has been forced to deny Andy Burnham is “too blokey” following reports that the new prime minister’s advisers have told him to limit the number of references to football and the pub in his social media videos.

Anna Turley, a Home Office minister, also defended Mr Burnham’s recent post ranking bar snacks to highlight a business rates cut for hospitality venues, saying his style was “reaching people”.

The PM is “definitely not” too blokey, she told LBC radio, adding: "If it’s blokey to go to the pub and enjoy football, we're living in the 90s".

"I enjoyed his video on bar snacks. I think he is very authentic. That’s who he is and I think people want to see a politician who is who they are... our communication has gone up substantially in terms of being authentic and reaching people.”

She also praised his “really accessible style” telling Times Radio: “As someone who likes football and has the occasional pint as well and quite enjoys pub snacks, I've got no problem with his content so far, and it's great to see him out engaging with the public.”

It comes after No 10's social media experts told Mr Burnham to tone down his "blokeish" videos to appeal to a broader audience, according to reports in the Times.

The video of Mr Burnham and the chancellor John Healey discussing their favourite pub snacks was viewed more than five million times on X, formerly Twitter.

Mr Burnham also frequently talks about football and his love for his team Everton, as well as pints, in his content on social media.

But a source told the paper that the team "have cautioned against some of the content, advising to tone down some of the blokiness, such as the bar snacks stunt. He is a strong communicator but it's about balance."

In the video, the PM asks Mr Healey: “When did you last buy a pack of pork scratchings in a pub?” The chancellor replies: “Two weeks ago.”

They also rate Scampi Fries and KP nuts, with both politicians putting them in order without knowing what is coming next, so-called ‘blind ranking’.

In the end Mr Healey chooses scratchings as his top pick, while Mr Burnham plumps for crisps, adding “I do have a thing for a pickled onion Monster Munch”. When the chancellor looks at him quizzically, he replies “yeah, I know”.

Mr Burnham’s communication style is a contrast to his predecessor, Keir Starmer, who faced criticism for being stiff in public and failing to connect with voters, as well as struggling to properly explain a unifying, positive story about what his government stood for.