Mid-term prime ministers – Episode 2: The Transition
About this episode
This episode explores the challenges and realities faced by mid-term prime ministers in the UK during their transition into power.
Becoming prime minister is a job like no other. The arrival of Andy Burnham is the latest in the UK’s recent history of prime ministers coming to the job mid-way through a parliament. Mid-term prime ministers often take over after crisis, political upheaval or the sheer weight of the job have put paid to their predecessor. And mid-term prime ministers come to the job through very different means – a leadership contest rather than a general election, or sometimes even without that. They have less time to make a difference, a party looking for change, and a policy platform that is already well underway. In this three-part series, the Institute for Government takes you behind the scenes of the mid-term changes of prime minister from John Major to Rishi Sunak. Speaking to the senior officials and advisers who were there to explore how prime ministers, their teams and the civil service prepare, what the transition is like, how they build their teams, how they change policy, and the lessons from these premierships on what it takes to succeed as a mid-term prime minister. Mid-term prime ministers – Episode 2: The Transition Many politicians have ambitions to become prime minister but…
More episodes of Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
- Is Ed Miliband rethinking UK foreign policy?
- Burnham down the House - the new PM's Parliamentary debut
- Totally Rewired - Can Burnham really do government differently?
- Mid-term prime ministers – Episode 3: Adjusting to the role
- Mid-term prime ministers – Episode 1: Preparing for change
- Andy Burnham: How is the new prime minister changing the direction of government?
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