The eight key priorities Andy Burnham must address to turn Labour's fortunes around – Ewan Aitken
Andy Burnham should focus his initial efforts on cutting the cost of living, providing affordable housing, and helping young people find work
We will soon know if Andy Burnham will face a challenge in his quest to be Labour leader. Even if so, the likelihood is that he will be Prime Minister before the autumn. I wish it were different but, given where we are, this is a change we need.
Politics is built on connection and belief – a sense that the person running the country cares about us and we believe they will do what they say. Both have been in short supply for a long time.
It is why we will be on to our seventh Prime Minister in ten years, a shocking statistic for a country where the average Prime Ministerial term since 1900 is three years, nine months. We need a leader who can tell a story which shows they know what it feels like to be where we are, gives us hope about where we are going and clarity about how we’re going to get there.
A stable disruptor
Burnham’s challenge is to tell a story of both stability and disruption. He needs to move us from speculation about the political survival of whoever is Prime Minister to questions about what he is going to do with his time in office, which speak to the challenges people feel are important.
But the answers to those questions need to contain a strong sense of disruption. Burnham is in the counterintuitive position of needing to offer stability but not the status quo. People are fed up with more of the same but they don’t want the constant change either.
Burnham can only do so much before he has to go to the polls by July 2029. His focus needs to be in three key immediate areas and five longer term strategic challenges. The three immediate areas are cost of living, affordable housing (I know building houses takes time but there are things which could be done quickly to build up the pace), and investing in employment for young people.
Shifting the dial on these would have the biggest immediate impact on economic growth as they would improve consumer confidence and increase the labour force.
Knottier issues will take time
The five longer term issues are: pushing harder on moving away from fossil fuels; improving transport and connections across the country; planning for the impact of AI on the economy; investing in welfare reform; and devolving power away from Westminster.
These are knottier issues which will take longer to solve and require government investment to bring change. The present Westminster administration's creation of GB Energy, nationalisation of the railways and investment in British versions of AI are a good start.
Burnham’s “Manchesterism” is a great model but must be far more radical; we need empowered communities, not just stronger mayors.
I know there are many other areas which will need his attention – like foreign affairs, defence, reframing immigration, health, schools, other aspects of the economy and more – but that is what the team around him is for: to share in leading the necessary changes.
Burnham needs to focus his energy and more importantly his storytelling powers in these key areas. If he does, July 2029 might increase the chances of him being seen as ‘above average’ in more than just his time spent in office.
Ewan Aitken is a former charity chief executive and Labour politician
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.