Which Andy Burnham will we get this time?

Which Andy Burnham will we get this time?

Author: The Spectator May 22, 2026 Duration: 16:35

Andy Burnham has officially launched his campaign today to be MP for Makerfield (read: Prime Minister). But what does he actually stand for? We’ve had briefings that, despite being the candidate of the soft left, he will stick to Rachel Reeves’s fiscal rules and keep Shabana Mahmood’s immigration reforms. He’s flirted with nationalisation of utilities, but which exactly? What’s the big pitch?

Burnham’s launch comes the day after some good news for the government, after net migration hit its lowest level since the pandemic. The number of people moving to Britain dropped to 171,000 in the 12 months to December, nearly half the figure recorded the year before. So why isn’t the government shouting about it?

Oscar Edmondson speaks to Michael Simmons and Noa Hoffman.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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