Why Andy Burnham needs to learn from New Labour if he's to be the party's saviour – Barrie Cunning

They say a week is a long time in politics. Cast your mind back to last week when there was mounting speculation that Keir Starmer (remember him?) would be setting out a timetable for his departure from Number 10, which never happened, a media frenzy about former Health Secretary Wes Streeting having the numbers to challenge Starmer for the top job, which didn’t happen, and constant reporting that Andy Burnham had his eyes on the Prime Minister’s job. He is now the Labour candidate for the forthcoming by-election in Makerfield on June 18.

It's fair to say that there is broad consensus that Starmer’s time in Downing Street is gradually coming to an end and that he will be known as the guy who took the Labour party from 14 years in opposition to being back in government with a sizable majority. History has shown that feat to be no easy task for any Labour leader, but the brutal truth of the matter is that the country was wanting a change of government and, as the official opposition, it was an easy win for the party.

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Tory chaos

As a bystander to these events, as opposed to being the focus of them or setting the agenda, I am sure Starmer will be soul-searching – perhaps whilst listening to Don’t Look Back in Anger – as to what went wrong under his stewardship of the party. However, the reasons why relate to a number of things that pre-date recent events and go back all the way to the 2024 election campaign.

I understand that to make meaningful and progressive changes to the country, you have to win an election and secure power. But having power without a clarity of purpose underpinned by a vision and a strategy is, as we have seen, problematic for any government. Think of the chaos under the Tories, when their incompetence fuelled growing speculation about the government’s ability to govern.

A government that is so dominated by personalities and personal agendas that this becomes the focus of the media and one that can’t get the backroom operations sorted will inevitably fail. And then it’s only a matter of time until the people of the country start to move away from you and lose confidence and trust in your ability to deliver. That’s exactly where the Labour party currently finds itself.

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A saviour of modern-day socialism?

However, the question that we need to ask is whether Burnham is the saviour of modern-day socialism and can he turn around the fortunes of an unpopular Labour government. Somewhat similar to the challenge that Starmer had in opposition, it will require more than a reset or rebrand to restore voters’ trust and once again position the Labour party as a credible vehicle for progressive change in the UK.

Understandably, the electorate is looking for leadership and delivery, but the reality is that there won’t be a honeymoon period for Burnham or whoever takes over from Starmer. The next leader will need to hit the ground running with a relentless focus on delivering for the people.

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I like Burnham, I like his vision, his energy and his attitude towards getting things done. He’s a breath of fresh air in what feels like an eternity of soundbites and disappointment. I equate his big picture thinking to that of the mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani.

I know people outwith politics who like ‘Brand Burnham’ and feel that they can relate to him. On that basis, he has what every politician wants to have and that is trust from the voters. As the mayor of Greater Manchester, he has demonstrated that good governance can result in good progressive policies and ultimately good decision-making that makes a real difference to people’s lives. However being in charge of a region isn’t the same as being in charge of the country.

Cool Britannia

Although Burnham has been somewhat critical of the political leadership of the country over the last 40 years – and I agree with him on the de-industrialisation policy pursued by Margaret Thatcher and the significant impact that had on not just the North of England but also here in Scotland – he would do well to learn the lessons from Tony Blair and New Labour, who created the party’s most successful election machine and were similarly effective when it came to policy and delivery.

Not to be seen to be paying tribute to all things “Cool Britannia”, but in 1997 Blair and his Cabinet knew what they wanted to achieve, had a plan to govern and set about making things happen.

I’m old enough to remember progressive policies like the minimum wage, working tax credits and others which helped to keep people in work. To me, this was a response to public concerns about the cost of living at that time – government policies aimed at helping people. And they really did feel the benefits. It is this type of thinking that the Labour party needs to get back if they are to show voters that they can be trusted to improve their lives.

Barrie Cunning is the founder of Scotland 2050 and the managing director of Pentland Communications