The transition begins

The transition begins

From The Politics Show by The New Statesman

July 16, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the political landscape as Keir Starmer's premiership ends and Andy Burnham prepares for his potential leadership.

As Keir Starmer's premiership draws to a close, Andy Burnham is putting the finishing touches on his plan for power. Ailbhe Rea joins Tom McTague in the studio to discuss: Anne Widdecomb's role in British Politics Keir Starmer's final days as Prime Minister The people likely to be appointed in an Andy Burnham cabinet Why appointing Shabana Mahmood as Chancellor would go against Andy Burnham's own principles Why the briefing against Ed Miliband shows Burnham's plan to improve Number 10 culture will be an uphill battle 📚 READ Exclusive: Andy Burnham appoints Number 10 policy chief https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/07/exclusive-andy-burnham-appoints-number-10-policy-chief LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning ✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Tom McTague

Guests: Andy Burnham, Ailbhe Rea

Topics covered

  • Keir Starmer
  • Andy Burnham
  • British Politics
  • Cabinet Appointments
  • Number 10 Culture
  • Political Strategy

Keywords

  • Keir Starmer
  • Andy Burnham
  • British Politics
  • Cabinet
  • Number 10
  • Political Strategy
  • Ailbhe Rea

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New Statesman

More episodes of The Politics Show

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Politics Show podcast page.