A change is as good as a rest, they say. Like many such maxims, this is an insightful observation worn down by overuse. It first appeared in 1857 as both the title and catch of an anonymous poem. But the wisdom of this piece of Victorian doggerel has been demonstrated over the week since Andy Burnham’s coronation.

Labour has overtaken Reform in The Spectator’s poll tracker for the first time in almost two years. It’s a very slight lead, well within the margin of error, and varying across the polls, but it’s definitely there.

‘Labour’s comms has been in another league this week compared to what went before.’ That is certainly true, but it is a bit like saying that a packet of Scampi Fries is, as a pub snack, in another league from a handful of gravel

And on one level, it’s not surprising. The advent of Burnham has been refreshing. As the week unfolded, I felt an unaccustomed little lift whenever I consulted the news pages. But I realised that this was not down to Burnham so much as the absence of his predecessor. By about last Thursday I was suffused in a fuzzy glow as it finally sunk in that I wasn’t going to be faced with Keir Starmer on a regular basis for the first time in many years. No longer would that face, like a taut slab of luncheon meat, confront me from every device. That voice, like the creak of hinges on a chest unopened since 1857, was now a thing of the past. Who wouldn’t feel a spring in their step at the prospect? Throw in the bonus that the doomy demeanour of Rachel Reeves has also been plucked out of sight, and it’s no wonder a few people are feeling grateful to the man responsible.

But some people are getting a little carried away. The normally reliable academic Adrian Hilton posted on X, ‘Doctoral theses could be written about Andy Burnham’s first days in power, not least because his comms have indeed been on a plane not only far beyond Starmer’s, but also beyond the opposition parties. Mrs Thatcher spent years learning how to do this: Burnham has it from Day 1.’ I say, steady on, old chap.

This was itself a response to Lewis Goodall of the News Agents podcast, who drooled excitedly about the video in which Burnham and his new Chancellor John Healey chatted about the best pub snacks. ‘Would be so easy for this to be cringe. And yet it’s not.’ (It was, in fact, extremely, indeed spectacularly, ‘cringe’.) Goodall went on: ‘Labour’s comms has been in another league this week compared to what went before.’ And that is certainly true, but that is a bit like saying that a packet of Scampi Fries is, as a pub snack, in another league from a handful of gravel.

It occurs to me that this is the strange, phoney war stage of the Burnham premiership. Away from any kind of scrutiny – be it public, press or parliamentary – Burnham is currently an elusive butterfly, fliting and fluttering happily about, untethered by the normal political processes.

Many progressives would desperately like this to be May 1997 again. The trouble with this, you may have noticed, is that it isn’t 1997 anymore.

Leaving aside the question of whether Burnham really possesses the hypnotic qualities of Tony Blair, the conditions are very different. You can get away with a lot when the economy is going gangbusters, as it was for the first few years of the Blair premiership. Blair inherited glorious economic conditions from Kenneth Clarke, enabling him to stuff up the country without anybody even really noticing. Nobody since has been so blessed, on the economy or anything else, ever since – ironically mainly because of Tony Blair’s governments. But set against the horrible truths of the national ledger, the Burnham good vibes are very trivial.

But you must admit, they feel good. After years of gloom, the chirpy bonhomie can’t help but appeal. Here is somebody saying that Britain isn’t broken, isn’t collapsing, and look, here’s a few little extra pennies for you. I suspect it’s this that’s seen the polls shift. It’s so nice to see somebody with a smile on their face, even a gormless smile that defies reality. Burnham is popular (well, a bit) for the same reason George Formby was the big hit of the second world war. He should go the whole hog and invest in a banjolele.

It has been amusing to see people raving about his comms, optics and presentation. A large section of the progressive class is obsessed by media strategy. They genuinely believe that the public mood can be massaged by the correct kind of messaging. This is why they get in such a tizzy about social media and channels that don’t comply with their world view. Look at Labour MP Kate Osborne, ranting that GB News was – somehow – linked to the Islamist car attack on the Berlin Pride parade.

But no summer holiday lasts for ever. Even Cliff Richard and Una Stubbs could only achieve a ‘no more worries’ state for a week or two. There are all kinds of serious issues looming that a cheeky TikTok cannot waft away.

Or perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps Andy will emerge in the autumn with his incredible ten year plan, and we will gasp at its splendour. Perhaps this poll lead is just the beginning of Britain’s love affair with Andy Burnham. But I don’t think so. Andy should enjoy every minute of his little bounce while it lasts.