An Australian observer has a warning for Britain’s new PM. Will Andy Burnham listen?

July 21, 2026 — 10:08am

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London: The first thing Andy Burnham did upon becoming Britain’s new prime minister was to admit failure. It was an honest and necessary step because Britain has seen an awful lot of failure over the last decade. But it also raised expectations that the new leader could arrest the country’s dismal decline. And, so far, there is no sign he has a solid plan to do so.

In his opening remarks in Downing Street, just after his meeting with King Charles, he said this was a moment for “reflection and new resolution” about the future. “It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game,” he said. He admitted that Britain’s leaders had not been good enough, and he added: “We will be.”

A new leader always tries to break with the past and hold out the promise of a better future, so Burnham mainly stuck to that formula. He did, at least, acknowledge that Britain was suffering from a generational failure.

Burnham is a devastatingly good politician. He has walked into 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence, barely a month after returning to parliament. He trounced the right-wing Reform UK party at a byelection. He was elected to the Labour leadership unopposed. His predecessor, Keir Starmer, resigned because his defeat was obvious.

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© The Age