Quote · The Rest Is Politics
546. Keir Starmer Resigns: What Happens Next?
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What Burnham Must Do Differently: Strategy, Communication, MPs
At 20:59 · chapter starts 17:30
Campbell defines strategy as 'the big how' — the means by which aspiration becomes an ongoing narrative that makes sense of all the individual policy decisions. He argues Starmer never had one. Burnham, by contrast, has one that almost writes itself: politics is broken for working people in places like the north of England, and the answer is devolving power, unleashing local talent, and reshaping how Whitehall operates. Stewart adds a crucial lesson from Boris Johnson's mayoralty: being popular as a city-region mascot does not guarantee the same skills translate to Downing Street. On MP relations, both hosts are bracingly honest about what it takes — not drinks receptions, but individual attention, remembered names, handwritten postcards, genuine interest. Starmer, Campbell argues, made the fatal assumption that MPs owed him their loyalty because he had won them their seats. Burnham, who arrives without that history, will have to earn it from scratch. The advisor question is equally urgent: Starmer's over-reliance on Morgan McSweeney left the government with a single-track mindset, and Burnham will need a much broader team around him.
When non-voters are factored in, only approximately one in five of the total eligible British population actually voted Labour in the 2024 election, despite Labour's historic parliamentary majority.
Strategy is 'the big how' — the mechanism that connects aspiration to reality, and lets every minister and civil servant understand how their work fits the larger mission. Without it, government is just a list of things you did.
Andy Burnham's political brand is built around a single coherent insight: politics has failed working people in places like the north of England, and the answer is devolving power away from Whitehall. That is not just a political pitch — it is a governing strategy.
Boris Johnson was a genuinely good mayor — delegating effectively, letting his deputies get on with it. The moment he became Foreign Secretary, it fell apart. The skills of a city-region mascot do not automatically transfer to Downing Street. Burnham should take note.
Andy Burnham served as Mayor of Greater Manchester for approximately nine years — a record that gives him strong devolution credentials but raises questions about whether mayoral skills transfer to Downing Street.
