Britain is on the verge of welcoming its seventh Prime Minister in just ten years, and the likely candidate is Andy Burnham, a seasoned figure within the Labour Party who aims to present himself as a champion for the working class.
After a decade as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham will be returning to Parliament on Monday. He previously served as a Member of Parliament from 2001 to 2017, but his comeback has been orchestrated over the last year as it became evident that outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer couldn’t garner public confidence.
Starmer had initially thwarted Burnham’s attempt to return to Parliament by blocking his leadership challenge during the Gorton Denton by-election in January. However, following the departure of anti-censorship activist Josh Symonds from his Makerfield seat after the recent local elections, Starmer seems reluctant or perhaps unable to prevent Burnham’s candidacy, particularly after Labour’s declining support to Nigel Farage’s British Reform Party.
Last week may have sealed Starmer’s fate. Burnham, after ten years in office, triumphed over reformist candidates, leveraged by his local popularity and voter support aimed at ousting Starmer. It appears Labour leaders now view Burnham as the strongest candidate to maintain their hold on power and keep Farage from seizing Downing Street.
While there were murmurs about other potential candidates emerging for the leadership in the summer, Streeting, Starmer’s rival and Health Secretary, announced his backing for Burnham immediately after Starmer’s resignation. This has led Burnham to appear more like a coronation than a contested race. Traditional media outlets quickly rallied around this perceived political savior, with the BBC even hiring a helicopter to cover his journey from Manchester to London.
Amid the enthusiasm, the real question is whether Burnham has the capability to deliver, or if he’ll just become another casualty in the political upheaval that has characterized Westminster since the Brexit referendum a decade ago.
One burning question surrounds which version of Burnham will come to the forefront, given his varied roles throughout his political journey.
Burnham defines himself as a pro-business “socialist.” He studied at Cambridge University and entered politics in 2001 under Tony Blair’s centrist New Labour initiative, serving as a parliamentary private secretary to two Blairite ministers. During this time, Burnham supported Blair’s contentious decision to join George W. Bush in the Iraq War, a choice Blair later expressed regret over.
He went on to serve under Blair’s successor, Gordon Brown, and held the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2008, right before the financial crisis hit. His later roles included being Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for two years, and then he remained in the shadow cabinet while Labour struggled in opposition.
Sensing a transformative shift in political dynamics, Burnham stepped out of Westminster and took on the title of Mayor of Greater Manchester.
In an effort to distance himself from his label as a complete London insider, Burnham garnered acclaim during the coronavirus lockdown, even earning the nickname “King of the North” for pushing for recovery funds to benefit regions outside London.
Currently, Burnham’s stance on potential prime ministerial policies remains somewhat ambiguous, emphasizing themes like “unity and hope” in contrast to what he describes as the “divisive, dark politics” prevalent in the United States.
The former mayor has proposed placing utilities under “stronger public control,” advocating full nationalization for firms like Thames Water. Yet, the government has signaled that nationalizing the water industry entirely could incur costs of up to £100 billion, leaving uncertainty regarding the specific extent of Burnham’s plans for state oversight.
Moreover, it’s not clear how he aims to revive Britain’s economy, or what his stance will be on major topics like immigration. Previously, he expressed a desire to rejoin the European Union, which suggests he might be trying to navigate around revisiting the Brexit debate.
Opponents, including Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, argue that Burnham lacks a democratic mandate and assert that his future policies should be subject to a public vote. They are calling for a snap election should he become Prime Minister. It’s also possible that Burnham might welcome such a challenge, knowing his popularity could diminish the longer he stays in the public eye.
