Even Labour MPs are beginning to have their doubts about Andy Burnham, according to analysis by Jonathan Walker, Whitehall Editor. The stark realisation is dawning on some of the Prime Minister's biggest supporters that his premiership may lack direction.
Why does Andy Burnham want to be Prime Minister?
Some politicians are driven by personal ambition. Boris Johnson famously said as a child that he wanted to be “world king”, and it was more than a moment of youthful whimsy. David Cameron once said he wanted to be Prime Minister “because I think I’d be good at it”. Theresa May was driven by a sense of duty and her Christian faith.
Andy Burnham appeared to have a clear answer when he first announced plans to abandon Manchester and storm into No 10. He had served at the heart of Government, as a minister in the Blair and Brown administrations. Then he became a mayor in the North-west and saw first-hand how London-based governments were failing the regions of England.
Mr Burnham had been at the coal-face, working closely with businesses, transport services, schools and hospitals, and he knew what they needed. He would return to Westminster and reshape central government so that it truly served the nation as a whole.
Conservative criticism and Westminster consensus
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch set out to portray Mr Burnham as a nice guy who wanted to be liked but lacked guts and substance. She called him “a pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt”. He was a “people pleaser” who relied on “vibes” but was terrified to make the big decisions.
The consensus at Westminster is beginning to swerve in her direction, and that’s across parties. Labour and Conservative MPs often agree when judging personalities. They felt Keir Starmer was a bureaucrat who didn’t understand politics. They were in awe of Tony Blair’s ability to communicate with voters. They felt Jeremy Corbyn was dangerous.
Andy Burnham got off to a good start, and opinion polls still show Labour in the lead, but it’s beginning to look shaky. He appears to give different answers on different days over whether he wants the UK to rejoin the EU’s freedom of movement area, leaving No 10 officials to try to explain the position to the media.
Unclear plans and delayed promises
He didn’t apologise for slavery during his visit to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, but didn’t exactly refuse to apologise either. He wants to create a National Care Service but, following a big conference announcement, we don’t know what it will offer or how it will be paid for. There’s a review taking place instead.
His admission this week that he might not publish a long-awaited “10-year plan” until 2027 has sealed the deal. It was his choice to promise a 10-year plan. When he started talking about it back in July, many people assumed it was more or less ready to go. But work on the plan is ongoing, and it’s still not ready.
So what exactly is the point of Andy Burnham? He got rid of Keir Starmer, and he’s very hard to dislike on a personal level, but it’s beginning to dawn on both enemies and allies that he might not know why he wants to be Prime Minister.
