Andy Burnham will become the UK prime minister today, facing the same list of economic and political problems that undermined several predecessors.
Britain has low growth, high inflation, and heavy debt, and he is constrained by his own fiscal pledges. The country also lacks energy infrastructure and housing, but struggles to build enough of either: London broke ground on just 4,170 new homes in 2024/25, against a total shortfall of 1.1 million.
And although more charismatic than the outgoing Keir Starmer, Burnham’s favorability ratings are already negative and he faces a severe challenge from the populist Reform Party. “Burnham should remember that a PM’s time is short and precious,” one former UK premier wrote on LinkedIn.
