How Andy Burnham mogged Britain

Comrade, this long march is one hell of a slog. I speak of Andy Burnham’s social-media campaign, a relentless process of ingratiation with the credulous commenters of TikTok. A week into Arr Andy’s run, I’m pooped. Reminds me of hitching home from Knebworth in ‘96. At the time of writing, Andy Burnham has more than 350,000 followers on TikTok. Our new prime minister follows only three accounts: UK Labour, Labour North West and a middle-aged Nigerian woman named Bemi Orojuogun. Who she? Zoomers know her as “Bus Aunty” — a content creator who blew up in 2024 for posting silent, selfie-mode videos showcasing her love for London buses. It’s the sort of thing an older relative would put on Facebook for a handful of likes; over on TikTok the gimmick earned her 440,000 followers (more than the PM