From the northwest England onto the world political stage: Andy Burnham becomes the new British on Monday Prime Minister. How will the former mayor of Manchester cope on the international stage, he writes Deutsche says.
Until now, his political stage was limited to the Manchester region in the north of England. Andy Burnham was mayor of the area for nine years, earning him the nickname "King of the North". During his tenure, the region's economy grew faster than the national average, while poverty in the city's neighborhoods was reduced.
Burnham is considered a politician who is easily accepted by citizens. He is recognizable by his dark T-shirts, jeans and black-rimmed glasses. He is relaxed in communication and quick on the tongue, which is why he enjoys great popularity in the north of England, where he recently convincingly won a by-election and thus won a seat in the British Parliament.
After an internal party decision, on Monday (July 20) he will move into Downing Street as the new prime minister and successor to Keir Starmer, who is leaving the post after only two years. Almost all MPs of the ruling Labor Party are behind Bernam and believe that he is the one who will succeed in stopping the rise in popularity. Nigel Farage and his anti-migrant, right-wing populist Reform UK party.
A whole new chapter now begins for the "King of the North". Until now, foreign policy has hardly been a part of his political career, and from now on he will have to act on the international stage as well.
US President Donald Trump recently, in response to a journalist's question about Bernam, he said that he did not know him and that it was "probably about the mayor of a smaller town".
Loyalty to allies, but also a more critical attitude towards Israel
Great Britain is closely connected with the United States of America through the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance, and in terms of security it depends more on cooperation with Washington than most European countries. Therefore, an open conflict with Trump would be risky.
"America is an indispensable partner for the UK - both for the service-based economy and for national security," says Mihir Sharma of the London-based Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
Relations between London and Washington were strained under Starmer, after the British government initially refused to allow the US to use British military bases to attack Iran. Trump then criticized Starmer, saying he was "not Winston Churchill".
When it comes to the Middle East, Burnham could change course. He announced that he wants to increase the pressure on the Israeli government, among other things by introducing stricter sanctions and banning trade in goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements. He also apologized for Britain's initial support for Israel's military operation in Gaza.
In an op-ed for the Times daily, Burnham stressed that Great Britain should maintain a leading international role and continue its current policy towards its allies. He pointed out that the security of Great Britain is directly connected with the security of Ukraine, which means that President Volodymyr Zelensky can expect continued British support. Burnham also said there would be no changes to Britain's nuclear deterrence policy.
It is not yet known whether Great Britain will get a new foreign minister or whether Yvette Cooper will remain in that position. On the other hand, Jonathan Powell should remain national security adviser, which is considered to Burnham's credit, since Powell is considered one of the most experienced British diplomats with good connections in Washington and Kiev.
Will relations with the European Union be a priority?
The question remains how Burnham will develop relations with Brussels and whether he will continue the pro-European course of his predecessor. Last year, he stated at the Labour Party conference that he hoped that the UK would rejoin the European Union “in his lifetime”. During Starmer’s term, relations between London and Brussels have improved significantly, and there is hope among advocates of closer cooperation that Burnham could go a step further.
However, Professor Anand Menon from King's College London believes that it will not be among his top priorities.
"I suspect that Burnham will pay less attention to the so-called 'reset' of relations with the EU, because it currently requires a lot of political energy and brings very little concrete benefits," says Menon. Nevertheless, this expert believes that in the long term there is room for progress in the negotiations with the European Union. As immigration to the UK has fallen significantly in recent years, it is possible that London could once again accept a limited number of workers from EU countries. This would enable closer economic cooperation with Brussels and could help the recovery of the British economy.
A new European security agreement?
Mihir Sharma believes that Bernam could offer European partners a comprehensive security agreement that would include military cooperation, supply chains for clean technologies and the development of artificial intelligence. "Great Britain is an important military power. European security would be stronger if the country was involved in joint weapons projects and the protection of the European industrial base," believes Sharma.
He advises Bernama to look for new allies among the Nordic countries and Poland, because, in his opinion, they would be more open to closer cooperation in the field of defense than France or Germany.
For now, however, there are very few concrete indications of how Britain's new prime minister intends to shape relations with the rest of the world. Burnham is facing a major change in political role, the likes of which has rarely been experienced by any British politician in recent years. In Manchester, he built success with pragmatism, accessibility and closeness to the citizens, but he will have to show much more on the international stage.
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