Andy Burnham has secured a crucial step towards the premiership, meeting union leaders who described the talks as “positive” – even as the question of Ed Miliband as chancellor threatens to fracture support.
The prospective prime minister sat down with the heads of 11 affiliated unions at Unison’s headquarters, seeking backing ahead of an expected coronation. Under Labour rules, candidates must secure support from at least three affiliates, two of them unions, to progress. Burnham, the sole candidate, could enter Downing Street as early as 20 July.
“Andy Burnham wins union support for premiership amid chancellor row, while devolution plans align with SNP.”
The GMB raised the issue of water ownership and union access to workplaces, while Unison pressed for changes to immigration rules affecting migrant care workers. Unite demanded a wealth tax, more action on the cost of living and clarity on reindustrialisation. Burnham’s commitment to maintaining fiscal rules on debt and borrowing was also questioned.
But a central point of contention is the possible appointment of Ed Miliband as chancellor. Sharon Graham, leader of Unite, has openly criticised Miliband, warning he would “put a noose around the neck of job creation”. Gary Smith, general secretary of the GMB, has described the government’s net zero policies on North Sea oil and gas as “shameful” and “economic madness”. However, Unison’s general secretary Andrea Egan has backed Miliband for the role. Wes Streeting, Sir Keir Starmer’s former health secretary, is also being mooted.
Burnham’s pitch extends beyond union halls. In an article for the Scotsman this week, he wrote: “After 10 years of political turbulence since Brexit, and 20 years of falling living standards since the financial crash, Westminster has not been working for people. It is broken.” His devolutionary instincts – plans to create a “No 10 North” and give greater powers to directly elected mayors – have drawn comparisons with Scottish First Minister John Swinney’s SNP.
There is significant policy crossover. Burnham’s proposal to bring essential utilities under public control mirrors Scotland’s state-controlled Scottish Water. His Bee bus network in Manchester resembles Edinburgh’s Lothian buses. Both leaders are grappling with similar questions: reindustrialisation, housing, welfare, and how to rebuild public trust.
But the Scottish government is unlikely to adopt English-style mayors, viewing them as “just another needless layer”, a senior figure told the New Statesman. Instead, it is looking at ultra-local devolution. The question now is whether the two “kings of the north” – Burnham and Swinney – can work together more profitably than their predecessors, or whether the promise of a new era will collide with old divisions.