Andy Burnham talked about the biggest change moment in 40 years of British politics and ending factionalism in the Labour Party. As he formally accepted the Labour leadership, his message to his party boiled down to this: be loyal to me and we can win the next election.
In his address, we learned more of the contours of Burnham’s plans but precious little about new policy. He promised devolution, reindustrialisation and more public ownership.
As is traditional with Labour’s Politburo approach, there was a warm-up for the warm-up, speeches from Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell and National Secretary Hollie Ridley. And they were before Shabana Mahmood as chair of the National Executive Committee stood up to announce what everyone in the room already knew. It’s…. Andy.
Powell, Labour’s deputy leader and a Greater Manchester MP, has long pushed for Burnham to return to Parliament. Her speech was designed to assuage some of the anger felt by allies of the outgoing prime minister, even now bruised and bitter over his departure, despite Starmer himself being magnanimous in defeat.
This moment in a hot, sweaty room at the TUC’s HQ in central London was deliberately designed to signal a “coming together,” even though there has been no contest. It was less a coronation, more a conclave of cardinals. But even though the white smoke was never in doubt, Burnham knows he has bridges to build.
Riffing on a well-worn Westminster joke that he’s all things to all people, Burnham joked: “In future, when a Burnhamite walks into a bar, I want the barman to say, ‘Great to see you. We don’t like factional politics here’.”
Since his return last month, the incoming prime minister has opted for the closest thing to silence that someone in his position can get away with. He’s hunkered down with his team to draw up a plan for governance and avoided personnel announcements that would polarise his captive party, all vibes and videos admitting things like he – quite wrongly – puts the milk in first when he makes tea.
Burnham hailed his predecessor but made no mention of the criticisms he levied at the government over the last 12 months leading up to this point.
Starmer’s allies are already annoyed at Burnham’s criticism of an “insidious briefing culture” and factionalism that “bedevils us”, when one Andrew Murray Burnham has been front and centre of attacks on Starmer and the Treasury including at high-profile moments such as September’s party conference, and piling pressure on Starmer’s administration.
Against Nigel Farage, Burnham’s argument is that regional neglect fuels the Reform surge, and that credibly fixing it is what wins those voters back. Combined with language about the “courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected” and the “conviction to argue for our plans,” it was an attempt to sound more decisive than Starmer without sounding more radical.
“We won’t beat Britain’s new right if we are consumed by in-fighting and pulled in different directions. That is and always has been an indulgence which falls heaviest on people who need Labour most,” he said.
“As your leader, I will set a direction that is distinctively Labour. We won’t try to out-Green the Greens or out-Reform Reform or do what we’ve done in the past – wearing too many Tory clothes. Let me tell you, I’m quite happy that Kemi doesn’t approve of my wardrobe choices because I’m not keen on theirs either,” he said.
He promised to be a leader for the entirety of the UK as he laid out his devolution agenda, but those who worry Burnham is a weathervane politician, one whom the political weather can turn, will seize on this remark: “I will be a leader for the north, the south, the east and the west, plus Scotland, Wales and for Northern Ireland,” he said.
Burnham will take office as Prime Minister on Monday, and he has hinted at major policy shifts concerning the nation’s taxation system. He’s refused to rule out a wealth tax and has indicated that he could reform stamp duty, raise tax allowances and undo the Government’s inheritance tax raid on farmers and its national insurance hike on businesses.
But he has committed to Labour’s promise to not increase the rates of income tax, VAT or employee national insurance contributions.
Panicky Labour MPs eyeing majorities under threat have made a hasty calculation to support Burnham based on a view that the new, confident bloke-in-a-T-shirt will help them defend their seats from populist insurgents, rather than stress-testing his policies. But Starmer’s experience showed that loyalty established on this basis can swiftly ebb away.
Burnham has vowed to “stay close to the ground, close to the people” and became emotional as he said he had made mistakes in his political career, but promised to give his new job “his all”.
None of that on Friday, though. All the speeches were hopey-changey on steroids. “We are united,” all the speakers claimed, as if protesting too much. Let’s see how long it lasts.
Hence then, the article about unite behind me or lose burnham told labour let s see how long it lasts was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Unite behind me or lose, Burnham told Labour. Let’s see how long it lasts )
Also on site :
- Descendants: Wicked Wonderland Team Breaks Down The Movie's Mysterious Ending: 'We Shot It A Number Of Different Ways'
- PVR Inox’s Sanjeev Kumar Bijli On India’s Box Office Recovery, Cinema Expansion & Cannes Acquisitions Haul
- 1996 No. 1 Hit, Which Resurfaced 30 Years Later, Was Just Reimagined by Two Legends at the Grand Ole Opry