Andy Burnham’s Downing Street address was a tale of two Julys. When Keir Starmer became Prime Minister in July 2024, his Government announced a so-called £22bn black hole in the finances. It was linked to a series of cuts, including to the winter fuel payment, that were deeply unpopular with voters. Starmer’s gloomy tone misjudged the mood of the public and he never recovered.
Burnham's Different Approach
Burnham, a more skilled politician than his predecessor, did not make this mistake in July 2026. He not only explicitly promised an end to a failing status quo, but an end to the economic model of the past forty years, even though this included the New Labour years. He also dispensed with the early hairshirt approach of Starmer by backing a “new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity”. Today, he claimed, would be a “circuit breaker” for the country.
Focus on Gain Over Pain
Where Starmer’s Government focused on taking money away from voters, Burnham is also focused on giving people “breathing room” from the cost of living crisis. Starmer was about pain and Burnham focused on gain. The new PM’s fresh approach will continue throughout the summer, free of the shackles of Westminster scrutiny. His UK tour will attempt to build a sense of hope and positivity in a country that has been lacking in both. He will announce a suite of feel-good announcements to show he is on the side of hard-pressed citizens.
Economic Plans and Tax Cuts
Much of the commentary so far has portrayed Burnham as a 1970s-style socialist wanting to jack up taxes. He may increase taxes where there is unfairness in the system, but every indication is he wants to go in the opposite direction. He has spoken about lifting the tax free personal allowance for income tax - a tax cut in all but name for workers and pensioners. Taking the edge off energy bills, perhaps through abolishing VAT, would also make voters better off. People across the UK have been told for sixteen years that they must tighten their belts to pay down debt and close deficits. Burnham’s speech is an early sign he wants to turn the corner on the miserablism of Westminster politics by going in the opposite direction.
