Andy Burnham’s March on Westminster: How Could He Become Prime Minister?
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of recent by-elections and the potential political rise of Andy Burnham as a contender for Prime Minister.
Three by-elections delivered three very different results this week. To discuss the implications, we are joined by Professor Philip Cowley, a leading expert on MPs, party discipline and the realities of parliamentary power. The Conservatives secured their first Scottish by-election victory since 1967, taking Aberdeen South from the SNP. Meanwhile, the SNP held on in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, limiting the damage from what could have been a bruising night. But it is Andy Burnham’s Labour victory in Makerfield that could have the biggest long-term consequences for British politics. We examine the political and parliamentary choreography required as Burnham begins his march back to Westminster, and we assess whether a carefully managed transition from Keir Starmer is possible, or even desirable. Are we witnessing the opening moves in a political dance of death between a sitting Prime Minister and the man many now see as his likely successor? And if Labour’s leadership question is approaching a decisive moment, which historical precedent is most relevant? Will it resemble the swift but dignified end of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership; the…
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