Andy Burnham has completed his Cabinet reshuffle as the UK's 59th Prime Minister, putting devolution at the heart of his new top team. His administration is one of the least London-centric in history, with a clear shift of power away from Westminster to the nations and regions. However, this approach has sparked concerns of a north-south divide, with Greater Manchester emerging as a big winner while London and southern regions may feel neglected.
Northern Dominance in Top Government Posts
Among the 'Big Four' jobs of state – Prime Minister, Chancellor, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary – not a single post is held by an MP from London. Instead, Greater Manchester has five MPs around the Cabinet table, compared with just two from the capital. The Cabinet is dominated by northern voices, with seven MPs from the North West and four from Yorkshire. There are also two MPs each from the North East, the West Midlands, London, Wales and the South. The East Midlands and Scotland each have a single representative. The geographic centre of Burnham's Cabinet has reportedly shifted 24km north-west, to around Derby.
Potential Backlash and Regional Imbalance
Burnham’s allies insist his cabinet represents all factions and regions, but critics argue he is favouring Labour colleagues from his own region. London is actually a Labour stronghold, with 58 Labour MPs – almost as many as the party has in the North West (63). Burnham risks a backlash from party colleagues who feel overlooked because of their region. Voters in the south, Midlands, East Anglia, and the Westcountry may fear their needs are being neglected as cash is funnelled to the North.
Internal Party Tensions
Despite Burnham's plan to end Labour's factional battles, there is already bad blood within the party. Starmerite Darren Jones, sacked on Monday, accused the new PM of making an unfunded announcement with his vow to cut VAT from electricity bills. Key plotter Ed Miliband, promoted to Foreign Secretary, risks causing problems with the White House, which is 'deeply concerned' by his appointment. Miliband and the US are on a collision course over the latter’s insistence that the UK 'drill baby drill', despite Miliband’s staunch opposition. Many Labour left MPs are disappointed by the decision to keep Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary, as some wanted to water down her immigration policies.
Burnham has not even been in the job 24 hours and already faces fires on both the domestic front and internationally. The reshuffle has highlighted the challenges of balancing regional representation while maintaining party unity and addressing national concerns.
