By Daniel Waldron
Without even a vote of Labour members, Andy Burnham has been anointed as the
new British Prime Minister as Keir Starmer’s leadership comes to an ignominious
end.
After posturing to the left to gain power and see off Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters,
Starmer oversaw deepening inequality and poverty, attacks on civil rights and
marginalised groups, and was complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Disastrous
election results in May – where Labour was squeezed from the right by Reform and
from the left by the Greens – spelled the end of his tenure.
Burnham has stated his premiership will be “the most significant change moment in
our politics for 40 years”, and even promised an end to neoliberalism (economic
policies which favour privatisation, the ‘free market’ and minimal state intervention).
Many will understandably hope that he will deliver – tackling the cost-of-living crisis,
revitalising crumbling public services, and seeing off the threat from Nigel Farage
and the far right. But what does his track record tell us?
Burnham’s relative popularity is largely a product of not having been part of
Starmer’s government since Labour returned to power in 2024. However, while
Health Secretary under Blair and Brown, Burnham oversaw New Labour’s
privatisation of NHS services, the central cause of the current crisis in health. He
also backed the invasion and occupation of Iraq, despite later expressing regret.
Serving as the Mayor of Greater Manchester for almost a decade, he is credited with
improving public transport and standing up to the Tories to demand a fairer deal for
the north. However, he also oversaw a boom in property developers’ profits at the
expense of soaring rents and rising homelessness in the city.
As Prime Minister, Burnham will almost certainly tack to the left on some issues to
distinguish himself from Starmer’s leadership. He has indicated plans for significant
investment in social housing, although details remain vague. Yet he has also
committed to maintaining the self-imposed ‘fiscal rules’ which limit the government’s
ability to invest in public services and which essentially write austerity into law.
Burnham seems set to continue the establishment parties’ failed strategy of
attempting to cut across Reform and the far right by giving in to them. He has stated
he will maintain Shabana Mahmood’s draconian immigration policy, giving succour to the false idea that immigrants are responsible for the problems facing ordinary people, rather than the bosses, bankers and property tycoons. Similarly, he has indicated his support for the Supreme Court ruling which will exclude trans people from single-sex spaces, putting vulnerable people’s lives at risk.
While he has been critical of Starmer’s response to the Gaza genocide and spoke
against Trump’s assault on Iran, Burnham is committed to keeping Britain within the
imperialist and warmongering NATO bloc. He has made no commitment to concrete
measures against the genocidal Israeli government and those who support their war
machine, such as introducing an embargo on arms sales to Israel. Burnham himself is a member of Labour Friends of Israel. It has been revealed recently that Burnham’s likely Chief of Staff will be James Purnell, a pro-Israel corporate lobbyist.
Burnham seems set to row back on Labour’s 2024 commitment not to licence new oil
drilling in the North Sea. This move would not reduce prices for ordinary people, but
reflects a prioritisation of private profit over tackling the climate crisis, the potential
effects of which are becoming all too clear.
Despite the bluster, left to its own devices, Burnham’s government will essentially be
business as usual for British capitalism. However, Starmer’s exit and Burnham’s rise
to power is symptomatic of the profound weakness of the pro-capitalist political
establishment, reflected in the hollowing out of the traditional ruling parties’ support
and the rise of new forces on both the left and, unfortunately, the far right.
In that context, there is an opportunity to score victories against this government.
Instead of adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach, those who want to see real change –
trade unionists, anti-poverty campaigners, Palestine solidarity activists,
environmentalists, anti-racists and so on – should organise to put pressure on the
government immediately, backing up concrete demands with strikes, demonstrations
and civil disobedience. If these struggles and movements are linked together around
a socialist programme, it can begin to lay the basis for a challenge to the whole
rotten system.
By The latest budget announced by George Osborne consists of yet more public sector cuts, privatisation, and vicious attacks on the most vulnerable in society. It is another budget for the rich that will see the top rate of income tax cut from from 50p to 45p - a windfall to those on salaries above £150,000 - and a further cut in corporation tax on top of those previously announced. By 2015, it is estimated the planned reductions in corporation tax will see £5 billion per year lost to the public purse.
