There can be little doubt, Andy Burnham is on manoeuvres
Wednesday 24 September 2025 at 11:18
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Edited by Leon Spence, Wednesday 24 September 2025 at 11:19
As pressure builds on Sir Keir Starmer and the failure of his government to deliver meaningful change in a restive Britain it is surely no coincidence that the cover story of the pre-conference edition of the New Statesman is a fairly obvious 'come and get me' plea from Labour's 'prince across the water', Andy Burnham.
Mr Burnham has been a politician known as being somewhat chameleon like over the years with affinity to Blairite, Brownite and increasingly left wing causes (as well as being a professional Northerner) and has clearly given thought in the interview as to how he can confront accusations of his former flip-flopping arriving at the conclusion that his current ideology of 'Manchesterism' is the authentic him away from Westminster.
Whether that is true or not, or whether it is just the most recent iteration, remains to be seen. As does whether he has the potential to be a saviour to an ailing Labour government.
But passages in his interview do illustrate a coherent reasoning for his success in the Manchester mayorality and potential for a plan for Britain.
Burnham's aim is unashamedly for a 'consensual, business-friendly socialism that seeks to retake public control of all essential services, from housing to transport, in order to make life 'doable' for those trapped in the insecure world of Britain's outsourced Serco economy', on a national scale - without the limitations of devolved powers - it is a platform for massive societal change.
It's a platform that calls for admitting the mistake of Brexit, seemingly advocating for proportional representation, and a potentially naive admission (perhaps looking more to internal elections than national ones) that, for him identity means being 'British first, north-west second, Liverpool third, and English fourth.' Something, no doubt, that Reform UK will be all to happy to leap on?
Given the timing and placement of the interview there is little doubt that Mr Burnham is on manoeuvres, he believes that he is the answer to a lacklustre Labour government's problems. A 'look what you could have won' in place of a bland Surrey mangerialism. He will, no doubt, have a receptive constituency.
But in Labour politics machinations rarely come off. Does the fact that he has failed twice before in his leadership ambitions mean that a third time will be more or less successful?
There can be little doubt, Andy Burnham is on manoeuvres
As pressure builds on Sir Keir Starmer and the failure of his government to deliver meaningful change in a restive Britain it is surely no coincidence that the cover story of the pre-conference edition of the New Statesman is a fairly obvious 'come and get me' plea from Labour's 'prince across the water', Andy Burnham.
Mr Burnham has been a politician known as being somewhat chameleon like over the years with affinity to Blairite, Brownite and increasingly left wing causes (as well as being a professional Northerner) and has clearly given thought in the interview as to how he can confront accusations of his former flip-flopping arriving at the conclusion that his current ideology of 'Manchesterism' is the authentic him away from Westminster.
Whether that is true or not, or whether it is just the most recent iteration, remains to be seen. As does whether he has the potential to be a saviour to an ailing Labour government.
But passages in his interview do illustrate a coherent reasoning for his success in the Manchester mayorality and potential for a plan for Britain.
Burnham's aim is unashamedly for a 'consensual, business-friendly socialism that seeks to retake public control of all essential services, from housing to transport, in order to make life 'doable' for those trapped in the insecure world of Britain's outsourced Serco economy', on a national scale - without the limitations of devolved powers - it is a platform for massive societal change.
It's a platform that calls for admitting the mistake of Brexit, seemingly advocating for proportional representation, and a potentially naive admission (perhaps looking more to internal elections than national ones) that, for him identity means being 'British first, north-west second, Liverpool third, and English fourth.' Something, no doubt, that Reform UK will be all to happy to leap on?
Given the timing and placement of the interview there is little doubt that Mr Burnham is on manoeuvres, he believes that he is the answer to a lacklustre Labour government's problems. A 'look what you could have won' in place of a bland Surrey mangerialism. He will, no doubt, have a receptive constituency.
But in Labour politics machinations rarely come off. Does the fact that he has failed twice before in his leadership ambitions mean that a third time will be more or less successful?
Only time will tell.