Andy Burnham to become Labour leader and next British prime minister
The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, becomes Labour leader this Monday and thus British prime minister, succeeding Keir Starmer. He would be the seventh head of government in a decade. Shabana Mahmood is seen as the intended chancellor of the exchequer.
The change comes at a time of political upheaval and economic stagnation. The New York Times stresses that Burnham will become the seventh prime minister in ten years amid instability, while the FT reports on Starmer's departure and the planned appointment of Mahmood as chancellor of the exchequer. From the left, Green Party leader Polanski warns in Politico that Burnham must not “sit on the fence” as Starmer did, after the latter had declared that Labour would not try to be “greener than the Greens.” The liberal Economist draws a mixed balance of Starmer's two years, with progress but too ponderous. Burnham is seen as a representative of the party's left wing and comes immediately under pressure from the economy, a resurgent right and his own ranks. Whether the change brings stability or perpetuates the permanent crisis remains open.