Andy Burnham is a lucky politician. And Nigel Farage has just given him another piece of surprising good fortune. The Reform leader’s decision to call a by-election so his voters can express their preference for him over a comedian in a dustbin is more than just a narcissistic farce: it is a blessing for Project Burnham. Just as attention should be focused on a man with neither a mandate nor a manifesto for running the nation, Westminster’s gaze is directed once more to the dreary beachfronts of Jaywick and Frinton. Burnham’s unscrutinised, unelected, unready administration moves closer to power while Reform achieves a feat hitherto thought impossible: becoming even more of a vehicle for the ego of its leader.
The one thing we do know about Burnham is his commitment to greater devolution across the United Kingdom. Cynics question whether the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, let alone Stormont or Sadiq Khan’s London, are really models of inclusive growth and human flourishing. But while cynicism is understandable, Burnham’s desire to rebalance power and wealth within Britain is not ignoble. If he learns the right lessons from devolution’s successes and failures, he may yet achieve some welcome progress.
