Andy Burnham has not even entered Number 10 before making his first major move on a subject where Britain wields minimal influence. In a three-minute video released this week, the incoming Prime Minister apologised for Labour's early handling of Gaza, admitting the party "didn't get it right" under Keir Starmer and vowing to improve. He briefly mentioned antisemitism before focusing on Palestine, promising fresh sanctions and possible trade bans. His main grievance was that Labour should have demanded a ceasefire sooner.
Why Gaza? A Bid for Lost Voters
The reasoning behind Burnham's Gaza video is clear: he is trying to win back voters who abandoned Labour for the Greens and Jeremy Corbyn's 'Your Party' over Starmer's stance on Gaza. However, Esther Krakue argues this strategy will fail. Within hours, the Greens demanded he use the word "genocide," and Your Party called for a full arms embargo and a public inquiry. No matter what Burnham offers, critics will demand more.
Krakue describes this as a "lose-lose game" and criticises Burnham for prioritising foreign policy over domestic crises. She notes that economic growth is limping along at 0.9% over the year, with output shrinking in April. Public finances are in dire straits, with borrowing in the first two months of the financial year around £8 billion above what the Office for Budget Responsibility had budgeted for. National debt now stands at 95% of GDP, and servicing it costs roughly £110 billion a year—more than the entire defence budget.
Economic and Employment Woes
Unemployment is hovering near a five-year high, and vacancies have fallen to their lowest level in the same period. Krakue attributes this to Rachel Reeves's tax hikes. Meanwhile, Burnham's team is reportedly considering Yvette Cooper or Ed Miliband as the next Chancellor—a move Krakue derides as evidence of Labour's shallow talent pool, noting both have over three decades in politics with few achievements.
Energy is another pressing issue. The price cap jumped 13% at the start of July, pushing the typical annual bill to £1,862, and millions of households face another winter in energy debt. Britain imports roughly 70% of its gas from Norway, while sitting on the same North Sea basin that Norway exploits. Two decades ago, both countries produced similar amounts; now Norway pumps out more than three times as much, issuing 57 new offshore licences in January alone. Meanwhile, the UK maintains a windfall tax and a ban on new exploration, causing domestic production to wither.
Defence and Leadership Concerns
Defence is another area of concern. Burnham inherits a stretched budget at a time when moral posturing on foreign wars will not pay for necessary equipment. Krakue contrasts Burnham with Starmer, who had a public mandate. Burnham returned to Westminster through a by-election engineered by ousting a duly elected MP. Krakue concludes that Burnham's leadership will be a mix of virtue signalling and tone-deaf policies, predicting he will not last a year.
