What Burnham Can Learn from Boris: Unite the People, Not the Party

This opinion piece argues that Andy Burnham must emulate Boris Johnson’s political strategy to save the Labour Party from collapse. Nearly a decade after Brexit, British politics remains fragmented, with Labour losing significant ground to Nigel Farage’s Reform party in Wales and urban areas. The author criticizes Prime Minister Keir Starmer for leading a cautious, insipid administration detached from public sentiment, exemplified by hesitant policies like the conditional nationalization of British Steel. With Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigning amid claims of leadership vacuum, Burnham is positioned as a potential redeemer. He is contesting a by-election in Makerfield, facilitated by Josh Simons’ resignation, to position himself for a leadership challenge. The article contends that Burnham should avoid the traditional Labour instinct of internal factional reconciliation, which has historically failed to create distinctive political brands. Instead, he must acknowledge Labour’s shared culpability in decades of poor decisions, including privatization and the Iraq War. To counter populist surges, Burnham needs to act as an insurgent against the status quo, uniting the country rather than just party MPs, and rejecting the smug dogmatism of the centrist consensus.