Summary
Overview
This episode examines Andy Burnham's journey from Manchester Mayor to Prime Minister, focusing on his handling of COVID-19, his deteriorating relationship with Keir Starmer's government, and his eventual return to Westminster. The discussion reveals how Burnham's confrontations with Boris Johnson during the pandemic elevated his national profile, while his frustrations with Starmer's leadership style and governance approach ultimately led to his challenge for the Labour leadership. Steve Rotherham provides insider perspectives on the political maneuvering, including the controversial blocking of Burnham's initial by-election bid and the strategic decisions that shaped his path to Number 10.
The COVID Confrontation and Rise of the King of the North
Andy Burnham's defining moment came during COVID-19 when he publicly confronted Boris Johnson's government over inadequate financial support for Manchester. Standing on the steps and learning that central government had announced a deal without proper consultation, Burnham's raw frustration resonated nationally. This moment crystallized his image as a regional leader willing to stand up to Westminster, with Johnson attempting to divide northern mayors by playing them against each other—a tactic that backfired when Burnham and Rotherham coordinated their responses nightly.
- Boris Johnson attempted to divide northern mayors by announcing deals separately, not realizing Burnham and Rotherham were coordinating nightly
- Johnson offered only £22 million for Manchester despite the severity of the crisis, which Burnham called 'disgraceful'
- Rotherham negotiated from an initial offer of £20 million, while Manchester had already been in the highest tier for eight weeks without any compensation
- Johnson publicly claimed he'd done a deal with Rotherham while positioning Burnham as uncooperative, causing backlash against Rotherham on social media
" This is no way to run the country in a national crisis. It isn't. This is not right. They should not be doing this, grinding people down, trying to accept the least that they can get away with. "
" The person who wrote the Spectator article that I'd attacked all those years ago and it looked as if somehow I'd betrayed people. So that's how vile Johnson had become where he was prepared to use any tactic to try and position Andy so that he had to accept less than what we would accept him. "
The Deteriorating Relationship with Keir Starmer's Government
Despite initial optimism when Labour won the 2024 election, Burnham and other metro mayors quickly became frustrated with Starmer's government. After a promising first meeting at Downing Street where they were told they'd be essential to delivery, nothing materialized. The government machinery actively impeded rather than facilitated their work, and Burnham found himself on the receiving end of anonymous briefings and political attacks, particularly around the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
- Metro mayors met with Starmer in the first three days of the new Labour government and left jubilant, believing they'd finally have support for delivery
- Rotherham repeatedly told Starmer that government machinery was getting in their way rather than facilitating their work
- Anonymous briefing against Burnham intensified before the Liverpool Labour Party conference, with Number 10 portraying him as a troublemaker
- Burnham strategically skipped Starmer's leader speech at conference to avoid giving critics ammunition
" I said you're the Prime Minister and that's what I want you to do I want to act as our Prime Minister and I said Prime Minister what we're finding is that the government isn't facilitating or aiding what we want to do to deliver on behalf of the country it's getting in our way "
" If I've got a problem with you, and you'll know this, I'll say to you, listen, I don't agree with such and such a thing, and you'll say well this is the reason I'm doing it and we might not agree and you walk away but if you went behind me back then and said hey have you seen what Steve Rotherham said blah blah blah I have issue with that And that what was happening And I hated it And I still hate it now "
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