Live Roundups Editor's Desk Insights Executive Ops Weather About 🔍
Home › Politics › ‘New direction, same old problems’: the economic...
Politics

‘New direction, same old problems’: the economic challenges facing Andy Burnham | Richard Partington

The Guardian Business Sunday 05 July 2026, 10:57 UTC By Richard Partington 1 min read
Key Points

Blair met good fortune when he assumed office, others such as Wilson faced tougher times. The PM-presumptive will start firmly on the back footMake Miliband chancellor, ex-chief Treasury adviser tells BurnhamJohn Harris: Without a good revival plan, Burnham cannot succeedIn politics, timing and luck matter. Tony Blair had astounding good fortune, benefiting from goldilocks economic conditions and a weak opposition.

Blair met good fortune when he assumed office, others such as Wilson faced tougher times. The PM-presumptive will start firmly on the back foot

In politics, timing and luck matter. Tony Blair had astounding good fortune, benefiting from goldilocks economic conditions and a weak opposition. Others have taken charge in tougher times: in the 1970s Harold Wilson faced a global energy crisis, as have the last four occupants of No 10.

As Andy Burnham prepares to replace Keir Starmer, there are clear economic headwinds for the prime minister-presumptive.

Continue reading...
Andy Burnham (PERSON) Richard Partington Blair (PERSON) Wilson (ORG) Miliband (ORG) Treasury (ORG) Harris (PERSON) Burnham (PERSON) Tony Blair (PERSON) Harold Wilson (PERSON) Keir Starmer (PERSON)
Originally published by The Guardian Business Read original →

Related Stories

German govt may withhold classified info from states if far-right start winning

German govt may withhold classified info from states if far-right start winning State govt powers include intelligence services activities. The far-right – with ties to Moscow – in Saxony-Anhalt could soon win a majority German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Sunday that the federal government is considering withholding information from ministers in state administrations if they are formed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The AfD is regularly criticised for close ties to...

South China Morning Post 6m ago

Why a growing number of Americans believe they’re better off abroad

Why a growing number of Americans believe they’re better off abroad More than 3.3 million Americans live outside of the US - and the demographic of that group appears to be shifting, Ariana Baio reports - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Facing a high cost of living, an increasingly divided political climate and yearning for adventure, Americans Joe Reagan and his wife chose to move their family from Maine to Europe in 2016 and never looked back. Ten years later, Reagan, his wife and four...

The Independent World 14m ago

Polanski says he will pay any council tax owed linked to houseboat

The Green Party leader told the BBC he is waiting for a decision from Waltham Forest Council.

BBC Politics 30m ago

Police probe Yes Scotland campaign's 'missing £1.5m' claim

It is claimed funds raised for the group which campaigned for independence in the 2014 referendum are "unaccounted for".

BBC Scotland 32m ago