From the North of England to the World Stage: Andy Burnham Takes the Prime Ministership of Britain. What changes could he make?
Until recently, his political scene was limited to the Manchester area in Northern England - Andy Burnham was mayor of the city for nine years and earned the nickname "King of the North". Under his leadership, the local economy grew above the national average, and poverty in the city fell. Burnham is already a popular figure - with his sporty style and simple black-rimmed glasses. Casual and funny - that's how most residents of the region see him. He recently won a landslide victory in a London by-election.
He will move into 10 Downing Street on Monday, having officially become Labour leader on Friday. Burnham will replace Keir Starmer after just two years as prime minister. Now the ruling Labour party hopes that Burnham will put an end to the rise of Nigel Farage and his populist anti-immigration party Reform UK.
The "King in the North" is about to make a brand new start. Foreign policy has played almost no role in his career so far, but from now on Burnham will have to take his place on the international stage. "I don't know him", Donald Trump said of Andy Burnham, adding that he heard he was the mayor of a small town. Burnham cannot afford to be offended by these words of the American president, as he faces serious foreign policy challenges.
Commitment to allies, criticism of Israel
Through the intelligence alliance "Five Eyes", Britain is deeply connected to the United States, and in the security sphere it is more dependent on its cooperation with Washington than with most European countries. Therefore, open conflict with Trump would be risky. "The United States is an indispensable partner for the United Kingdom. Not only economically, but also in terms of security", says Mihir Sharma of the London-based Institute for Policy Studies. Under Starmer, relations with Trump have been strained, as London initially refused the United States the use of its military bases for attacks on Iran. Trump previously said on this occasion that Starmer "is definitely not Winston Churchill".
As for the Middle East, a change in course is possible - Burnham has already said that he intends to increase pressure on the Israeli government. This could be done through more serious sanctions or a ban on trade in goods from illegal Israeli settlements. Burnham even apologized for Britain's initial support for Israel's war in Gaza.
In his comments to the British newspaper "The Times" Burnham confirmed Britain's commitment to its allies. According to him, British security is inextricably linked to the security of Ukraine, so President Zelensky can count on continued support for the Coalition of the Willing. The policy of nuclear deterrence will also continue as before. It is unclear whether Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will keep her post, but National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell will certainly remain under Burnham, which is good for the new prime minister - Powell is an experienced diplomat with good relations with Washington and Kiev.
Is a new beginning with Brussels no longer a priority?
Another important question is how Burnham will act on the issue of the United Kingdom's relations with the European Union. Will he continue the pro-European course of his predecessor? At the Labour Party conference last year, Burnham said that he hoped that Britain could return to the European Union "while he is alive". Under Starmer, relations with the EU have improved significantly and pro-European Britons hope that Burnham can build on this.
However, European affairs expert Anand Menon of King's College London does not believe that this is very likely. "I suspect that for Burnham, a new beginning with Brussels will not be a priority because at the moment it requires too much energy and the return is low." On the other hand, Menon believes that in the long term there is a possibility of changes in this direction. According to him, it is likely that Britain will start accepting migrants from EU countries in the future. This will give London opportunities to get closer to Brussels in the economic sphere and thus give impetus to its economy.
A pact for the security of Europe?
Mihir Sharma believes Burnham could also propose a broader security pact for Europeans, which could include military cooperation, supply chains for clean technologies and artificial intelligence. "The UK remains a major military power. Europe's security will certainly be strengthened by cooperation with the country on defense and its participation in industrial protection measures." Sharma would advise Burnham to also seek new partners within the EU - for example, the Scandinavian countries or Poland, which may be more open to closer cooperation than France or Germany.
So far, however, there is very little clear sign of how future Prime Minister Andy Burnham sees Britain's relations with the rest of the world. He is clearly taking on a completely new role: in Manchester he won support with his pragmatism, friendliness and proximity to the people. But on the international stage he will have much more to offer.