Andy Burnham's first speech shows why London could become his biggest headache

The incoming Prime Minister's major promise is easier said that done, writes Rakib Ehsan from the Policy Exchange

With Andy Burnham becoming the new Labour leader, his first speech couldn’t have made it clearer – he, quite rightly, believes that the governing party has committed to a political culture and economic model which has failed traditional working-class communities for far too long.

Declaring that he would be a Prime Minister that governs in the interests of all four home nations – not just northern England - Burnham has promised “the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years”.

But what are the most serious challenges facing the incoming Prime Minister in terms of his relationship with my city of birth - London?

One of Burnham’s greatest tasks will be rebalancing arguably the most inter-regionally unequal nations in the industrialised world.

This is much easier said than done, considering the political, economic, and cultural dominance of the global powerhouse that is the London city-region.

In the past, Burnham has been accused of being ‘anti-London’ – at times suggesting that as mayor of Greater Manchester, his region was being somewhat overlooked by investors in favour of the capital and that Northerners faced discrimination in the city.

Burnham may have a point on investment – especially when one considers the Crossrail 2 project, which is ultimately designed to support growth in an already prosperous South East region.

But he will have to be careful that his calls for spreading wealth and opportunity across the regions, does not take on an anti-London bent – especially after Labour’s traditional electoral dominance in the capital suffered a hammer blow in the recent borough council elections.

Burnham will want to avoid antagonising his London MPs – especially those in Labour’s modern heartland of South London which currently hold huge majorities.

There is also the matter of Burnham’s relationship with race and class – something that could be a point of tension with some of his Londoner colleagues.

Burnham’s political rhetoric has tended to focus on working-class communities which have been left behind by Thatcherite neoliberal orthodoxy, addressing regional divides, and tackling socioeconomic inequality.

Burnham has also recently questioned current anti-racism guidance in spheres of life such as policing, arguing that everyone must be treated equally and that the police should act neutrally to avoid the possibility of being accused of ‘two-tierism’.

What is clear from Burnham’s record is that there is a strong emphasis on class-based barriers to opportunity and geographic inequality – certainly more so than on so-called ‘racial disadvantage’. This positions him well with the traditional working classes – indeed, much of the country.

Policy Exchange’s A Portrait of Modern Britain: Ethnicity and Religion report, published in October 2024, found that nearly three in five members of the British public believe that between race and class, the latter is more important in terms of succeeding and doing well in Britain.

But it may place him on a collision course with the BLM-inspired identitarian Left – particularly much of the radical-progressive Labour London crowd.

Burnham’s first speech as Labour leader was filled with hope, optimism, and positivity.

He has waited for this moment for a long time. But I suspect that the former mayor of Greater Manchester will soon find out that being leader of a national party – and indeed the country – is a totally different kettle of fish.

In an era of competing group interests and fragile voter coalitions, being a unifying national political leader who is able to integrate the UK’s various regions and diverse communities into a cohesive whole, is a tall order indeed.