Burnham's summer tour is over - now he has to prove himself in ParliamentImage source, Getty Images/Ryan JenkinsonImage caption, Things are about to get a lot tougher for the new prime ministerByJack FenwickPolitical correspondentPublished11 minutes agoAndy Burnham is set to come under the most intense scrutiny of his political life when Parliament returns on Tuesday.Since coming to power six weeks ago, the new prime minister has largely been free to set his own agenda.The timing of Labour's leadership contest meant he walked into Number 10 after the House of Commons began its summer break, denying MPs the chance to question him and creating what some have seen as a honeymoon period. Burnham has embarked on what Downing Street called a "summer tour" of the UK, appeared on podcasts and announced a series of eye-catching policies, mainly aimed at tackling the cost of living.But things are about to get a lot tougher, with MPs finally getting a chance to grill the new PM when he makes a statement to Parliament on his priorities as PM.He has taken questions from MPs in the Commons before, when he was a minister in Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's Labour governments.But Tuesday will be his first appearance on the government front bench for 16 years.Image source, Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, Burnham and Marie-France van Heel, his wife, walked into Number 10 in July The team around Burnham view the start of his premiership as successful but say they will be relieved to get back to the "structure" of parliamentary politics.Burnham will know he has really arrived as PM when he makes his debut at prime minister's questions (PMQs) on Wednesday, after almost two decades of trying to get there.A packed Commons chamber, with curveball questions, hostile opposition politicians and the biggest TV and online audience of the week will be a world away from his nine years as Mayor of Greater Manchester.One Number 10 source said Burnham's debut would be used as a "learning exercise" to discover "what works and what doesn't".The new PM is said to be keen to adopt a "tonal shift" at the weekly half-hour session and will attempt to bring more humour to the occasion.Most prime ministers enter PMQs with a thick folder of notes covering what they hope is every conceivable question they might face.Burnham likes to speak without notes, as he did in his first speech outside Downing Street, and is thought to be considering doing the same at PMQs.His aides sound equally relaxed about the task ahead, even though the next few weeks could define his entire premiership.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Burnham was sworn in as an MP at the House of Commons in JuneOne phrase being used by Burnham's inner circle to describe his approach to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and other opposition MPs is "problem solving, not point scoring".Badenoch will also have to recalibrate her approach to PMQs, with senior Tory aides saying Burnham is a "different proposition" to Sir Keir Starmer.The Tory leader was increasingly combative and sharp with Sir Keir, but a senior Tory aide says Badenoch "knows that when you get a new problem you need a new solution".Badenoch has recently accused Burnham of being a "people pleaser" who doesn't relish taking difficult decisions, a characterisation she is likely to use again in her Commons clashes with him.The Conservatives have identified three areas on which they believe Burnham could be vulnerable to attacks: defence spending, the potential for tax rises and the early release of prisoners.Image source, House of Commons/PA WireImage caption, Badenoch has recently accused Burnham of being a "people pleaser" - a characterisation she is likely to use again in her Commons clashes with himThe row around prisoner early release has created arguably Burnham's most challenging moment yet.Justice Secretary Alex Norris is expected to make a statement in Parliament early next week, announcing how the government will ensure the killers of PC Andrew Harper are not released early.Responsibility for fixing this political problem was handed to Norris when the prime minister publicly said he was confident that his new justice secretary could find a solution.Officials had been stressing for weeks that this was not an easy fix, and the prime minister's critics believe this could turn out to be an early example of him choosing not to take a difficult decision, which would leave some people upset and angry.Norris's announcement is set to include measures to both free up more prison space and create legal carve-outs to make some prisoners ineligible for early release, but those inside the Ministry of Justice are determined not to allow the details to be leaked.Image source, PA Media/Family handoutImage caption, The justice secretary is expected to announce how the government will ensure the killers of PC Andrew Harper are not released earlyMessage discipline is being emphasised inside the Treasury too.The biggest moment for the Burnham government this autumn will come on 28 October, when Chancellor John Healey unveils the Budget.Sir Keir and his chancellor Rachel Reeves were widely seen to have been damaged politically when many of the policies in their Budgets made their way into the media.In response, Burnham's administration has put measures in place to try to stop those leaks and it's understood the Treasury is telling officials that Budget security is like national security.Nevertheless, speculation about the Budget is likely to dominate the coming weeks in Westminster, in particular questions about what taxes could potentially be increased.Burnham has repeatedly said he will keep Labour's 2024 manifesto pledge not to increase income tax, VAT or national insurance.But the prime minister has also said there is "room for movement" on taxes within that pledge, leading the Conservatives to believe it's a fruitful topic for political attacks.The Treasury is focused on creating a Budget that will not spook financial markets, with a senior source insisting the core themes of Healey's plans would be "fiscal discipline" and "fiscal devolution".Healey resigned as Sir Keir's defence secretary over what he saw as a failure to adequately fund the armed forces.It now falls to him to find the money to fund the defence investment plan, with an extra £4.7bn needed in the Budget.Healey is not expected to set out a path to spending 3% of GDP on defence in the Budget, and will instead wait until next spring's Spending Review.When asked if there was nervousness about potentially annoying military chiefs, a senior Treasury source said you'd be "hard-placed to find anyone sceptical" of the idea that Healey is committed to keeping the country safe.Image source, Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesImage caption, Chancellor John Healey will unveil the Budget on 28 October There has also been speculation that Burnham wants to weaken the Treasury's traditionally tight grip on policies across government.Just before Parliament broke up for summer, the government said it was transferring "local economic growth policy" from the Treasury to Burnham's new Manchester base Number 10 North.The Treasury is downplaying the idea that Number 10 North could become in effect a rival department.Despite predominantly focusing on domestic issues so far, Burnham will also turn his attention to foreign policy, with a visit to Downing Street by French President Emmanuel Macron.And, finally, he will need to make sure he keeps his own troops in Parliament happier than they were under the previous management.Many Labour backbenchers felt that Sir Keir did not listen to them enough and Burnham is expected to be far more visible in the Commons voting lobbies and tea rooms than his predecessor.Sources say he met most Labour MPs in the weeks before he became prime minister and believes that MPs "value that bit of face time".But there is still a divide among the more than 400 Labour MPs about what policy areas should be prioritised at a time when the financial situation looks set to be tricky for some time.Those around the prime minister are conscious, too, of the difficult decisions that may lie ahead.One Number 10 source said there was an acknowledgement in Downing Street that the "public's expectation bar is high and we've got to meet it".Burnham refuses to rule out tax rises in autumn BudgetPublished4 days agoBurnham faces unpopularity test over prisons dilemmaPublished11 AugustBurnham unveils plan to get rough sleepers off streets for ChristmasPublished19 AugustSign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.Related topicsAndy Burnham