Andy Burnham’s political platform has so far been limited to the Manchester area of northern England. There he spent nine years as mayor of the city, earning him the nickname “King of the North”. Under his leadership, the local economy grew faster than the national average, while poverty declined in inner-city districts.
Burnham has created an accessible image. He is often seen wearing a dark T-shirt and jeans, along with simple black framed glasses that look more functional than fashionable. His easy-going demeanor and quick wit have made him popular throughout northern England, where he recently won a landslide victory in a parliamentary by-election and gained a seat in the House of Commons.
On Monday, 20 July, following his appointment as leader of the Labor Party, he will move to Downing Street as Prime Minister, replacing Keir Starmer after just two years in office. Almost all Labor MPs have backed Burnham, hoping he can stop the rise of Nigel Farage and his anti-immigration, right-wing populist party, Reform UK.
Foreign policy has played only a small role in Burnham’s career so far, but he should soon establish himself as an international player.
Recently when asked by reporters about Burnham, US President Donald Trump said, “I don’t know him,” adding that he believed him to be “a small-town mayor.” However, given the long list of foreign policy challenges, Burnham can hardly focus on this dismissive comment.
Commitment to allies, criticism of Israel
Britain is closely tied to the United States through the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and is more dependent than many other European countries on security cooperation with Washington. Therefore, open conflict with Trump would be risky.
“The United States is an indispensable partner for Britain, both for its services-based economy and its security,” said Mihir Sharma of the London-based Institute for Public Policy Research. Under Starmer, relations with Trump were strained when London initially refused to allow the United States to use British military bases to attack Iran. Trump recently criticized the British Prime Minister, saying Starmer is “no Winston Churchill.”
However, in the Middle East, Burnham may be paving a new path. He has promised to increase pressure on the Israeli government, adopt tougher sanctions and ban trade in goods from illegal settlements. He has also apologized for Britain’s initial support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
in an article for many timesBurnham reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to maintaining its leadership role and its existing alliances. Britain’s security is directly linked to Ukraine’s security, he wrote, which suggests President Volodymyr Zelensky can expect as much support from Burnham as he did from Starmer. Along with France and Germany, Starmer played a leading role in the so-called Coalition of the Willing Peoples of Europe. Burnham has also promised to maintain Britain’s nuclear deterrent role.
It is not yet clear whether Burnham will appoint a new Foreign Secretary or keep Yvette Cooper in the post. However, Jonathan Powell is expected to retain the post of national security adviser – a win for Burnham, as Powell is widely regarded as one of Britain’s most accomplished diplomats, with strong ties in both Washington and Kiev.
‘Reset’ with Brussels no longer a priority?
How Burnham will pursue relations with Brussels remains an open question. Will he continue his previous pro-European course?
At the Labor Party conference last year, Burnham said she hoped Britain would rejoin the EU “within my lifetime”. Under Starmer, relations with the EU improved significantly, and many pro-Europeans hope Burnham will go even further.
Anand Menon, a Europe expert at King’s College London, is more skeptical. He said, “My guess is that Burnham will give a low priority to a ‘reset’ with the EU because it currently requires so much political effort while yielding relatively little results.”
At the same time, Menon believes that there may be scope for closer ties in the long term. Migration to Britain has declined sharply in recent years, arguing that London may eventually accept limited immigration from the EU again. This, in turn, could pave the way for closer economic cooperation with Brussels and help revive Britain’s sluggish economy.
A European security agreement?
Mihir Sharma believes Burnham could propose an ambitious European security pact that would include military cooperation, clean technology supply chains and artificial intelligence.
“Britain is a major military power,” Sharma said. “European security will be strengthened if the country participates in defense projects and contributes to the defense of Europe’s industrial base.”
He argues that Burnham should seek new partners within the EU, such as the Nordic countries or Poland, who he believes would be more receptive to closer defense cooperation than France or Germany.
However, there have been few concrete indications so far about how the new Prime Minister wants to shape Britain’s relations around the world. Burnham is playing a role she has never played before.
In Manchester, practicality, approachability and political instincts helped make him one of Britain’s most popular politicians. On the international stage, these qualities alone are unlikely to be enough.
This article was originally written in German.