A Worse Alternative

Andy Burnham has become Britain's 59th prime minister. The fourth in five years, that is. Which is to say that Britain is wielding the executive defenestration button like hardly seen before. Aside from being the most egregiously undemocratic ascension to Number 10 Downing Street, it is even more so a damning indictment of the Labour party's lack of talent and political nous.

Once Burnham pulled off his victory in the Makerfield by-election in May, it seemed like a formality that he would become Labour's leader. Of course, the key act that precipitated the coup was Wes Streeting's resignation from Keir Starmer's cabinet as Health Secretary. The same day, Josh Simons gave up his seat in Makerfield, allowing Burnham to throw his hat in the ring to be Labour's candidate. And so the dominoes started to fall: Burnham sharpened his knives, cleaned his glasses and threw his best jacket on. Interestingly, Streeting has been appointed (or, rewarded) the Head of the Department of Defence.

In any case, had the Labour Party had the decency to hold a leadership election, they could at least cling to the vague notion that they were acting democratically. But such was not the case. The Executive Committee bigwigs looked at each other, and through the list of the front and backbenchers, and must have realised that they'd actually need to choose someone outside of Parliament to save their sorrows. A small Wigan constituency of 80,000 people has determined the resident of Number 10, in a desperate power-grab to, according to Burnham, put the country on "a new path to the one we’ve been on for the last 40 years". This is a clear circumvention of any sort of scrutiny, and Burnham will pay the price.

It is a sad state of affairs for the nation. A nation that is deteriorating, with its leaders offering the remedies of a child. While debt piles up, immigration issues are sidelined, and freedom is infringed unceaselessly. For example, one of 'Our Andy's' policies is to devolve more powers to mayors and regional councils. This has been in conjunction with his move to instate a Number 10 of the North in his former mayoralty, Manchester (which can hardly even be considered 'Northern'). How does this help with the issues above?

Burnham is convinced that with greater regional autonomy, issues can be solved more efficiently, at lower cost and with better delivery. One of his flagship policies as mayor, which has now been nationalised, was to cap bus fares at £2, which was, in essence, one of the few policies actually brought into place. As we have seen in his own backyard, though, it hasn't helped tackle the real issues that matter, as are so often ignored by the political class.

Having been to Manchester multiple times over the past years, it doesn't seem to project itself in any better state than other UK cities. Even worse has been the proliferation of vape shops, Turkish barbers and other unwanted and overprovided services, which in many cases have been proven to be fronts for illegal activity. This is without mentioning their hideousness. Meanwhile, homelessness still prevails across the streets, along with litter and general uncleanliness. And as it happens, the new prime minister's very first policy announcement as prime minister was to throw £350 million at eradicating 'rough sleeping'.

It's a by-the-book move for a left-wing government, though; just how left-wing they'll be allowed to be by the financial markets is another question. It would be a surprise if he'll be able to achieve much of what he has pledged, particularly given the lack of government financial wiggle-room. As for taxation, he has inherited one of the most onerous and punitive tax positions the state has been in, perhaps ever? Starmer was scorned for U-turns, which arguably led to his downfall, but don't be surprised if it becomes common in this government too.

In terms of his cabinet, he has made the shrewd move to reposition Ed Milliband as head of the Foreign Office, which means he can exercise scant influence over domestic policy–no doubt a tactic to win favour with those on the right. In fact, his green energy policy wasn't popular with the general public either, largely because despite continuous claims of cheaper and more reliable energy, the reverse has been true. Elsewhere, in a surprise move, John Healey was named Chancellor, meaning he can finally help to address defence spending, which he of course resigned over under Starmer. However, we should remind ourselves that this was a man who worked in the Treasury in the lead-up to the financial crisis, so if what you're looking for is a responsible pair of hands, look elsewhere.

What truly undermines this latest form of government, though, is Burnham's mandate, of which he has none. Had he been decent enough to subject himself to genuine and meaningful parliamentary and public scrutiny in the lead-up to his ascension, his authority would be much less under question. I'd argue that had he called an immediate snap general election, he may have had a chance at a full term, or at least a coalition government of some sort. But no, he played it safe in the short-term, which will cost him long-term. While it's uncertain as to who's in government following the so-called 'King of the North', he has written his and Labour's own electoral suicide note.

©Tom Large 2026