Why British Prime Minister Andy Burnham should matter to Europe

What can Europeans expect from the United Kingdom's seventh prime minister in 10 years? Especially when he remains focused on his own country, nurturing his potential electorate. Andy Burnham, who took office in July, has so far been almost silent about his foreign and European policy. In 2024, his predecessor Keir Starmer had barely assumed office, also in the summer, when he made a tour of Germany and France to try to repair relations damaged by Brexit. In contrast, Burnham has deliberately chosen to be seen not alongside world leaders, but with ordinary people at home, devoting his summer to a "listening tour" across working-class England in order to reconnect with disillusioned voters.

Perhaps to avoid the fate of Friedrich Merz, who was quickly nicknamed "der Aussenkanzler" ("the foreign chancellor") in Germany, Burnham has been traveling the country, announcing measures to tackle the everyday challenges affecting purchasing power. He has also promised a sweeping decentralization plan, which remains less advanced in the UK than in many European countries. His first symbolic move was to transfer some Downing Street offices to Number 10 North, in Manchester, wrapping it in a narrative of the North asserting itself over the South, of the regions over London, of ordinary people reclaiming power from the elite.

Of course, this proximity offensive is heavily staged for the media, as the opposition is quick to mock. Yet Burnham's hyperactive communication style contrasts sharply with Starmer's dour and subdued approach and has already yielded some political capital. In less than a month in office, he has pushed Labour ahead in the polls over Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party. Farage was re-elected in his constituency on August 13, but continues to face legal troubles. If Burnham manages to sustain the trend, the new Labour leader will carve out political space for action and may even inspire counterparts across the Channel.

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