Andy Burnham has been Prime Minister for just over a week, and already he is fighting the same battle that helped bring down his predecessor. Sir Keir Starmer tried to tighten eligibility for disability benefits last year and was met with a revolt by more than 120 of his own MPs. McDonnell has struck a similar note, insisting that whatever changes follow must be built around support rather than sanctions. He has framed it as a fair exchange, opportunity paired with obligation, for the individual and the taxpayer alike. The last Labour leader who tried reforming welfare discovered that tough love is far easier to promise from the despatch box than to survive in the voting lobby.