A famous comedian has ruthlessly mocked Andy Burnham with impressions online that viewers say are “absolutely nailing” it.
Russell Kane has taken satirical aim at the 56-year-old would-be Labour leader and Prime Minister who has over the years carefully cultivated a Northern honest man-of-the-people persona. Taking his cue from that image, Russell’s latest video as ‘Andy’ starts by stating he’s just jumping on the “b****y internet” to respond to “all kinds of accusations” that he has “nipped down to London just because Keir Starmer‘s resigned”.
Sporting Mr Burnham’s trademark black T-shirt and blazer look, Russell chortles: “Couldn’t be further from the flippin (sic) truth.”
Pretending to be the new MP for Makersfield, Russell adds that he is not interested in getting into Number 10 and that he is more focused on the “the disability lift at Platt Bridge”, a suburb within his new constituency. In reality, Mr Burnham headed to London by train from Manchester Piccadilly arriving in Westminster to be sworn in the MP for Makersfield after Sir Keir Starmer resigned on Monday morning.
The comedian continued: “I’m not going to lie, I had a Tesco meal deal on the way down (to London) because you get the free drink, and that’s what I’m like.”
Further hamming up his sketch of Mr Burnham, Russell said he had a conversation on the train with an “old lady called Doris”. He explained: “She said ‘Andy, why are you going down to London?’, and I said, ‘Doris, I’m not, I’m here to represent the north, I am staying, I have to go down to the b****y smoke to get myself sworn it… put your mind at rest, Andy’s going nowhere.”
He adds that his constituents “need more gravy of course”.
But it’s at this moment the video suddenly changes tone as Russell takes on a Jerkyll and Hyde-like change and makes an aggressive speech towards the camera. He growls he’s going down to London “just to see what Keir Starmer’s seat feels like when I seize power from him with my army.
He rants: “I will unleash the kraken of Angela Rayner onto the b**ls of anyone who messes with me.”
Snapping back into character as if the angry tirade didn’t just happen, Russell said he would be getting the train straight back up north to Makersfield for a meeting about “using the unused town hall in Bryn for a karate centre for disabled and blind children, so they can do northern karatee (sic).”
Russell has posted a number of Andy Burnham impressions in recent weeks, including a video where he told everyone how “normal” he was while making some tea and having some toast. He also said he enjoyed “Coco-Pops with gravy” for breakfast.
The impressions have since gone viral on X with many commenting how the comedian has captured Mr Burnham’s character.
Campaigner and political commentator James Melville wrote: “Here’s Russell Kane absolutely nailing his impersonation of Andy Burnham.”
Another person added earnestly: “Keep it going Russell and well done.”
Someone else asked where they could “sign up to northern karate” and another commentator continued the martial arts them, requesting: “Please expand on Northern Karate because it sounds ace.”
One person made a tongue-in-cheek observation on Russell’s impression, adding “I’m finally reassured. What a solid, working class, honest lad he (Burnham) is.”