Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has been elected unopposed as leader of the UK Labour Party, replacing the outgoing Keir Starmer.
Burnham, who recently won the Makerfield by-election, will become Prime Minister of the UK on Monday and will become the country’s 7th leader in 10 years.
In his acceptance speech on Friday, Burnham set out what his leadership might look like.
Burnham promised party unity, the building of a new political culture based on consensus, upholding traditional Labour values, governing for all areas of the UK, and devolving power away from London to the UK’s regions.
On The Hard Shoulder, former Labour MP for Ealing North and Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland Stephen Pound said Burnham has a “great opportunity” to succeed.
Pound said Burnham’s long-term programme for the UK, rather than focusing on short-term or “adversarial” politics, is key to understand his leadership plan.
‘You can never go for anything in politics without making an enemy’
He accepted that some may view Burnham’s call for party unity ironic, given his political manoeuvring against Starmer.
However, Pound noted that the two are “working very closely”, with Starmer appointing London Mayor Sadiq Khan to the House of Lords to aid Burnham’s plan for regional devolution.
Asked about Burnham’s ability to manage working-class immigration concerns, Pound emphasised that Burnham does not believe that “you can have absolutely unlimited immigration.”
He classed Burnham a realist and said he understands public’s sentiment on the issue. Pound said that more affluent areas, specifically pointing to Dublin 4, were “not particularly impacted” by migration and held more hospitable views
Labour “the only opposition”
Pound said Burnham is likely to face the most opposition from “the half dozen Labour MPs who didn’t nominate him,” highlighting weaknesses of other UK political parties.
In particular, Pound said the Conservative Party “are not making the weather”, Reform UK are damaged over news about leader Nigel Farage's finances, the Green Party are “playing playground politics”, while the Liberal Democrats are “a clown show.”
