Andy Burnham must finally meet 64-year-old challenge about Britain’s lost place in the world – Henry McLeish
As Andy Burnham seeks to address problems with the UK’s internal political systems, he also needs to look to Europe to ‘find a role’ for the country on the world stage
Andy Burnham has invested a great deal of political energy in his first few days in office, addressing the cost-of-living crisis and driving early morning policy announcements. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet must, however, have the courage and stamina to remain focussed on the key priority of reforming the British state.
The embrace of a new political and economic model based on the redistribution of political power, the modernisation of our politics and its outdated constitutional framework, and the creation of an interventionist state are big ideas, beyond the short-term symbolism of a “Number 10 North”.
These tasks will not be easy. History is not on his side. Idealism and realism are an awkward fit. Amid political uncertainty, global gloom, right-wing populism, and a political discourse that is plumbing new depths of disrespect and intolerance, there are, at least for the immediate future, serious constraints on government spending, with a rising national debt, disappointing economic growth and persistent inflation pressures. Keir Starmer may have left, but the condition of Britain remains fragile.
An alternative future for Britain
Addressing long-term problems, however difficult, must remain Burnham’s key priority if Britain is to escape the gravitational pull of the politics of entitlement, in which people seek comfort in delusion, misplaced nostalgia and scapegoating. The foundations of the British state are crumbling. Complacency, the lack of an alternative vision, dwindling confidence, vested political interests, fear of change and the gravitational pull of London are all holding us back.
In 1962, Dean Acheson, a former US Secretary of State, famously said: “Britain has lost an Empire but has failed to find a role.” This remains an issue, particularly given the global antics of the US and the state of our at-risk Special Relationship. Yet Britain still remains unsure of embracing Europe as an alternative future.
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Today we have another problem of similar importance concerning the role of government, our constitution and the sovereignty of Westminster. Burnham must embrace both.
The drive towards decentralisation in England, comprising local government reform, an extension of mayoral powers and an involvement in Westminster policy-making, should not be confused with the unfinished business of the elected parliaments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Island, where another round of devolved powers is long overdue. These are nations, not regions!
The PM will need the backing of a volatile electorate nurtured on short-termism if we are to propel Britain into a more sustainable orbit. Being serious about challenges at home, and abroad, requires an acceptance that our deeply fractured and disunited kingdom cannot move forward until it addresses its politics and governance. It will need a ten-year plan.
‘The gospel of intelligent localism’
Writing in the Financial Times, in an article headlined The Victorians have some lessons for Burnham on radical devolution, journalist Philip Stephens reminded us of the massive contribution made by local councils during the Victorian era in places such as Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester with the provision of public health, water, sanitation, and libraries. Stephens quoted the phrase “the gospel of intelligent localism”. And he reminded Burnham that “regional and local enterprise have been suffocated by Whitehall centralism”. The case for radicalism is indisputable in what remains the most centralised state in Europe.
These issues have been talked about for decades, but the Treasury ensured change never happened. The grip of old Britain always tightens when vested interests and privileges are threatened. Inspiring voters and restraining a sceptical media on such long-term issues will be a struggle.
The PM has rightly talked up ideas about collaboration across the political aisle; more devolution for England mainly in the form of enhanced local government and powerful strategic authorities; electoral reform and a voting system that is fair and progressive; the extension of mayoral influence as economic and fiscal powers are handed down; and a boost to a political process that is currently struggling as election turnouts decline and people even question the relevance of voting to their lives.
The future of the devolved nations must also be high on the agenda. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has suggested scrapping the House of Lords in its current form and replacing with a second chamber of the “Nations and Regions”. We had a Union of the Crowns in 1603 and a Union of the Parliaments in 1707, but there has been no serious attempt to create a Union of the Nations or a push towards a form of federalism. New thinking is urgently required which could help blunt the edge of nationalism and inject a long-overdue sense of urgency into our politics.
Kinnock’s wise words
On the issue of Britain finding a role in the world, Burnham has crucial decisions to make about the country’s relationship with the European Union. Some valuable advice is at hand.
In an article published by the European Movement UK, former Labour leader Neil Kinnock offered some wise words in the form of five clear asks for the new Prime Minister: “Drop the red lines on Europe. By the end of 2026, publish a strategy for cementing our place in Europe. Make the UK Europe’s closest security partner. Launch a well-informed, national conversation on the UK’s European future. And put a well-considered route to EU membership in Labour’s next manifesto.”
If we can finally answer the question about Britain’s role in the world, as posed by Dean Acheson over 60 years ago, it will help put the ‘Special Relationship’ with the United States on a more rational footing. Controversial, yes. But so is living with Brexit.
Henry McLeish is a former First Minister of Scotland
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