Has Andy Burnham PM any legitimacy?
David Vance SubstackRead More
It’s going to be a coronation. If things go as I think they will, newly elected Makerfield MP Andy Burnham will become the new Leader of the Labour Party on Friday 17th July and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Monday 20th July.
He suggests that there is no need for a General Election and most of those around him share that view. Voting is for the plebs when it comes to the ambitions of the Fabians in Labour!
However, on what basis does Burnham have legitimacy to govern us if we did not elect him to become Prime Minister? His fan boys will say that Labour was elected on the basis of their 2024 Manifesto and that Burnham is pledged to implement that. That is the basis of our Parliamentary democracy
That seems reasonable IF Burnham sticks to that 2024 Manifesto but if he diverges from it then that is a separate matter. The legitimacy to govern lies in the implementation of what was promised in June 2024. However Labour have plummeted in the polls since coming to power and it is hard to imagine that doing more of the same so how can Burnham square that circle? He talks about bringing “new hope” and a raft of new ideas to win over the public. How are these connected to what the Party was elected upon? If the 2024 Manifesto was so great, why are the struggling in the polls?
Andy Burnham should call a general election if he wants to govern on a programme that is meaningfully different from that 2024 Labour manifesto. He needs a fresh democratic mandate. A new leader who changes direction sharply should ask voters to endorse that shift, rather than relying on a mandate won under someone else’s leadership.
The truth is an early election could also give him political legitimacy before opponents paint him as an unelected leader imposing a new agenda. The longer he waits, the more likely it is that criticism will build that Labour is clinging to power without asking the public for permission to change course. That might not resonate right now, but give it 12 months and it will!
There is also a strategic case. If Burnham believes Labour can benefit from a honeymoon period, he may prefer to go sooner rather than risk a weaker position later if the economy stalls or the government loses momentum. His popularity will never be as high as in the next few months!
A general election would also settle the argument about mandate. Instead of constant speculation over whether Burnham has the authority to lead, voters would decide whether they want his version of Labour or something else entirely.
I think the moral argument for an early election is overwhelming but this is realpolitik. The brutal truth is that the next election is not due until 2029, going early could be reckless and might hand Labour a heavy defeat.
That is why Burnham himself has been reported as ruling out a snap election for now.
