Labour MP Josh Fenton-Glynn has praised Prime Minister Andy Burnham after he spent almost three and a half hours answering questions from MPs in the House of Commons, describing his performance at the despatch box as “hugely impressive”.
Burnham faced a wide-ranging session in Parliament covering issues from pubs and railways to social care and the Parades Commission, taking questions from MPs across the House.
Writing on X afterwards, Fenton-Glynn said the Prime Minister had answered 125 questions during the lengthy session.
“The PM has just answered 125 questions in almost three and a half hours, from pubs, to trains to social care and the Parades Commission.”
“He’s answered without notes throughout.”
“His first time at the dispatch box for a decade & a hugely impressive performance.”
The intervention comes as Burnham continues to establish his leadership in Westminster following his move into Downing Street earlier this summer.
Tuesday’s appearance — his first in the Commons as Prime Minister — gave MPs an opportunity to question him across a broad range of domestic and national issues, with the extended session putting his political experience and grasp of policy under scrutiny.
Fenton-Glynn’s assessment was unequivocally positive, presenting Burnham’s ability to respond at length and across multiple subjects as evidence of a confident start in the Commons.
The Prime Minister’s return to the despatch box is particularly significant given that Burnham spent much of the past decade outside Westminster politics while serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester. In his statement, he paid tribute to Sir Keir Starmer, who announced on the same day that he would stand down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras.
Since becoming Prime Minister, he has sought to place economic growth, public service reform, living standards and stronger communities at the heart of the Labour Government’s agenda.
The lengthy Commons session also underlined Burnham’s willingness to engage directly with MPs and defend the Government’s approach across a wide range of policy areas.
For Fenton-Glynn, the verdict after more than three hours of questioning was simple: Burnham had delivered a “hugely impressive performance” in one of his most substantial parliamentary appearances since becoming Prime Minister.
