This episode of The Rest Is Politics opens with an analysis of Andy Burnham's communications strategy as First Minister/Prime Minister, contrasting his heavy use of TikTok, Facebook and podcasts with the more traditional lobby-briefing approach used by predecessors. The hosts trace social media's rise in British politics from the mid-2000s through Cameron, Obama-style data targeting, and Boris Johnson's natural media flair, before discussing Burnham's follower growth, viewing figures on different platforms, and a Reuters Institute report on how news consumption habits are shifting away from newspapers and television towards social media and podcasts.
The second half turns to settler violence in the West Bank, with figures on Palestinian and Israeli settler populations, the shrinking areas of land under Palestinian control in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and conviction rates for settlers accused of violence against Palestinians. The hosts also mention a UNICEF assessment of conditions there. Lighter closing segments cover a private-school entry competition, university intake statistics by school type, and assorted asides on jam, bagpipes and pets.
Further & Higher Education
Key points from the discussion
The points they raised, and the official data behind them.
The hosts noted that Andy Burnham's TikTok following has jumped to about 400,000 from around 100,000.
~15:54Context
Andy Burnham is Mayor of Greater Manchester who became Prime Minister in the scenario discussed by the hosts, noted for using TikTok, Facebook and podcasts more heavily than previous prime ministers. His growing social media following is cited by the hosts as evidence of a deliberate, informal communications strategy aimed at reaching younger and different demographics.
The hosts observed that despite having fewer Facebook followers than TikTok followers, some of Burnham's Facebook posts have reached around a million views, with one reaching almost 5 million views.
~16:03The hosts discussed a Reuters Institute report from Oxford University showing the share of people saying they are not interested in the news has risen from 16% to about 25%.
~26:09Context
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University publishes an annual Digital News Report tracking how people around the world access and engage with news, including trust levels and platform use. The hosts cite this report to illustrate a broader shift away from traditional news consumption.
The hosts said the report found that the number of people whose primary news source is social media or podcasts rather than newspapers and television has now risen above 50%.
~26:35Context
This figure comes from the same Reuters Institute Digital News Report the hosts cite, which tracks changing patterns of news consumption across platforms including print, broadcast, social media and podcasts.