Burnham speaks with all the confidence of a mayor but without the gravitas of a Prime Minister Politics Andy Burnham earned his spurs as a great communicator on the back of a few summer TikToks, but is the shine coming off just a couple of months into the new job? While some people still appreciate the supposedly down to earth ‘tell it like it is’ approach, there can be no denying that the [...]
Brexit U-turn? Burnham says he is taking ‘pragmatic’ approach on EU Politics Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will take a “pragmatic” approach to boosting relations with the European Union just a fortnight after he suggested he could explore a full return to the world’s largest economic bloc. Burnham told MPs on Monday that a summit with EU leaders would take place on 20 November, where [...]
With Brexit on the ballot the next election will be box office Politics Whatever else Andy Burnham’s conference speech achieves, it has certainly opened up some major dividing lines in British politics – and some old wounds. The next election, when it comes, could well have Brexit on the ballot after the PM said he’s open to looking at everything from joining the customs union or entering the [...]
The huge costs facing Andy Burnham – and the financial tightrope he must walk October 1, 2026 Andy Burnham said he didn’t set out to deliver a “tub-thumping conference speech” but it was packed with huge pledges to take control over utilities and expand the state. Maurício Alencar considers just how costly his promises are in the long term – and in the next month. Andy Burnham had all the goodies for [...]
Burnham on Brexit: ‘Customs union, single market – or we could go all the way’ September 30, 2026 Andy Burnham has confirmed he is open to reversing Brexit and could push for Britain to rejoin the European Union after the next election, as he said all options are “on the table” for Britain’s future relationship with the bloc. The Prime Minister said on Wednesday Morning: “There are clearly options that need to be [...]
Burnham opens door to rejoining EU as he rips into Brexit September 29, 2026 Andy Burnham said the forthcoming UK-EU summit will forge closer ties with the European bloc as he left the door open to a pledge to rejoin at the next election. The Prime Minister used his Labour party conference speech to tear into Brexit, claiming Britain had lost control of key areas such as immigration. He [...]
If Brexit is to blame for Britain’s economic woes what’s the EU’s excuse? September 23, 2026 The Labour government is blaming Brexit for low growth but ignoring that’s it’s a phenomenon plaguing the EU as well, says Paul Ormerod At the weekend, Bridget Phillipson became the latest leading politician to pin the economic woes of the UK on Brexit. She recognised that youth unemployment will continue to rise but argued that [...]
Burnham: Rejoining the EU is a debate ‘for another day’ September 22, 2026 Andy Burnham has refused to rule out launching a bid for the UK to rejoin the EU, saying the debate is “for another day.” Speaking to reporters in New York at the United Nations summit on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said his priority was to “build on the good work that Keir [Starmer] did in [...]
Did call centres cause Brexit? September 16, 2026 Over a generation, millions of ordinary interactions with government, utility providers, financial institutions and corporate giants became remote, standardised and procedural. Each individual change was introduced in the name of operational efficiency. But accumulated across a lifetime, they altered something more fundamental: our sense that an individual can make things happen, says Lucy Harris Did [...]
Singapore on Thames or the Sick Man of Europe?: The Economics of Brexit Ten Years from the Referendum July 9, 2026 Paul Johnson, former director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Robert Johnson of the Centre for Cities analyse the economic impact of Brexit and its promise of deregulation and growth Since the Brexit referendum of 2016, and since actually leaving the EU in January 2021, the UK’s economic performance has been feeble. On a [...]