Andy Burnham, having seized power through a bloodless parliamentary coup, faces immense expectations as he prepares to step into Keir Starmer's shoes. To fix the big things, he must be bold and radical, putting extra money into people's pockets, raising living standards, improving public services, designing a welfare system that works, and creating a viable care system. He also needs to convince voters that net migration and small boat crossings are down, instilling hope through his politics of place.
Confronting Vested Interests
Burnham must confront powerful vested interests profiting from business as usual, championing the can-doers over the can't-dos, and demanding yes instead of no answers. The stakes could not be higher. A Burnham bounce, combined with Nigel Farage's financial scandals, has put Labour level in one poll and slashed Reform's lead to a single point in another. But Burnham must hit the ground running or risk being tripped up by blockers.
Public Ownership and Control
Taking public ownership and control of essentials is crucial. Rescuing the sinking Thames Water desperately needs renationalisation, not a taxpayer bail-out, before it is returned to spivs who holed it in the first place, similar to the banks after the 2008 financial crash.
Cabinet Appointments and Ambition
Burnham's ambition will be revealed through Cabinet appointments. Labour reformers and the Left worry that Shabana Mahmood, touted as Chancellor, would be a fiscal small-c conservative unlikely to shift wealth and power. Burnham, third time lucky after two disastrous leadership campaigns, deserves a hearing for his audacious rapid march from Manchester via Makerfield to Westminster. Labour knows this is the party's and the country's second chance; there will be no third.
Fortune Favours the Brave
Fortune favours the brave. It is time for Burnham to challenge everything that has gone wrong from Thatcher onwards and become the new messiah.
Clacton By-Election Circus
Roll up! The circus is coming to Clacton-on-Sea, and Nigel Farage is the unfunniest clown in British political history. The record 34 candidates standing in the Reform leader's backfiring by-election show why Count Binface is the serious choice. Candidates like Nick The Incredible Flying Brick, Baron Von Thunderclap, Howling Laud Hope, and a vile Laurence Fox backed by thug Stephen Yaxley-Lennon leave Farage grimacing. Labour, Greens, Lib Dems, Conservatives, and Restore refuse to play his game, meaning he has already lost face and credibility. Win the August 13 ballot and the result will be worthless, a Pyrrhic victory that won't stop the inquiry into Farage's secret £5 million bung or investigations into Reform's funny money. The man with a bin on his head beats the greedy professional politician in clown shoes.
Sport and Politics Mix
Rugby, cricket, and football boycotts that helped free Nelson Mandela and end apartheid proved sport and politics do mix. Yet we shouldn't get carried away over the 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas' bedsheet banner. It was classless and a clear breach of FIFA rules, but Lib Dem Ed Davey turning wolf to demand bans for Argentina's players made England fans sound like bad losers. The Falkland Islands, 8,000 miles from Britain, are an empire hangover, but Argentina, 300 miles away, is also imperial in ignoring the wishes of 2,000 people who overwhelmingly wanted the UK to remain in the EU. It's far better that footballers wave signs than folk die in wars.
Tories' Rightwards Lurch
The fact that economy-crashing Liz Truss is welcome in Kemi Badenoch's Conservative Party but moderate Gavin Barwell isn't tells us a lot about the Tories' rightwards lurch. Barwell, a peer and former Theresa May chief of staff, was purged for supporting green energy goals and staying in the European Convention on Human Rights—both Conservative policies when Badenoch was a minister. Nobody buys the official explanation he lost the whip for sidestepping a meeting with the Tory enforcer, as Badenoch herself declared net zero and ECHR defenders were 'not serious' and no longer welcome.
Going Up and Down
Going up: Neil Kinnock is finally getting plaudits. One of the best PMs Britain never had was hailed an inspiration by the newest, Andy Burnham. Going down: Good riddance to the £1.8 billion digital ID scheme. It would be a huge annoyance and bad bosses would still illegally exploit workers.
Speaker's Corner
Al Carns, Royal Marine turned Labour MP, nails why we should use a near-dry North Sea while boosting green power: 'If we're still using oil and gas, importing it instead of producing it at home doesn't change the climate impact. It does change who gets the jobs, who gets the tax revenues to fund our public services, and who controls our energy security and national resilience.'
