Some Friendly Advice for Andy Burnham

Everywhere you turn, there's advice pouring from every media orifice. Indeed, there is a concerted campaign running through unnamed (naturally) Labour MPs, the right wing press, and former military brass saying what Andy Burnham needs to do when he enters Number 10. These boil down to throwing money at the armed forces while stripping social security from the unworthy poor, and under no circumstances must he appoint Ed Miliband as his chancellor. Forgive me for thinking these might be people who don't have the best interests of a Labour government at heart. As Burnham rightly noted following the Makerfield result, the window he and his party have to make a favourable impression is short. Before announcing anything, we're very much in the vibe zone that precedes the concrete announcements due after he's gone and seen the King. And those vibes are mixed. As we saw, during the by-election Burnham did his very best Keir Starmer impression. And since, news that his old friend James Purnell…