Andy Burnham’s in-tray: The challenges facing the new UK PM
Andy Burnham, who becomes the United Kingdom’s next prime minister on Monday, faces a roster of challenges as the country’s seventh leader in a decade.
The New UK Prime Minister's Challenges
Andy Burnham, who becomes the United Kingdom’s next prime minister on Monday, faces a roster of challenges as the country’s seventh leader in a decade.
Burnham was overwhelmingly backed as Labour leader on Friday after current Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned last month. His vision for the country and his cabinet still unclear, with Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think tank, noting that he hasn’t had the thinking time yet. Experts say the incoming prime minister will inherit an economy that has barely grown in two decades and a challenging geopolitical environment. He also has to deal with a marked decrease in Labour’s popularity, with the party trailing the right-wing Reform UK in the polls for 18 months. Menon argues the
Fiscal and Economic Outlook
Experts say the incoming prime minister will inherit an economy that has barely grown in two decades and a challenging geopolitical environment. He also has to deal with a marked decrease in Labour's popularity, with the party trailing the right-wing Reform UK in the polls for 18 months. Menon argues that much of what shapes a prime minister's fortunes lies outside their control and outside Britain's borders. He cited the war in Ukraine, Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic as reminders that a 'medium-sized open economy' is exposed to forces it cannot direct.
Dependence on the US for defence and technology rules out any dramatic reconfiguring of British-US ties. Menon expects European Union relations to get less attention than under Starmer, predicting Burnham to be 'more avowedly domestic' focused. Whether that scales up nationally will hinge on his willingness to confront the bond markets. What Burnham did in Manchester might be harder to do at a national level, warned Menon. He's got to get the balance right between showing he's aware of the fact that there's a country outside of London and that isn't just Manchester.
The New UK Prime Minister's Challenges
Burnham was overwhelmingly backed as Labour leader on Friday after current Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned last month. His vision for the country and his cabinet still unclear, with Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think tank, noting that he hasn't had the thinking time yet. Experts say the incoming prime minister will inherit an economy that has barely grown in two decades and a challenging geopolitical environment. He also has to deal with a marked decrease in Labour's popularity, with the party trailing the right-wing Reform UK in the polls for 18 months. Menon argues the
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