Burnham: squeeze him, not cajole!

As Andy Burnham becomes Labour leader, we need a fight by union and Labour activists to open up Labour and democracy. And union democracy too, since many unions’ voice within Labour is heavily controlled by top officials.

We need to use the existing channels, and newly opened-up channels, not to cajole or implore Burnham, but to squeeze him. We need to put him under the pressure that made Starmer retreat on Winter Fuel Allowance and PIP cuts — and a lot more than that, since that pressure only stalled the worse rather than imposing the better.

It won’t be easy. Most of the left Labour MPs are among the 349 who have nominated Andy Burnham for Labour leader.

Nadia Whittome, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Apsana Begum, John McDonnell, Jon Trickett, and Steve Witherden have had enough prudence and dignity not to do that, and so has the maverick Labour MP Stella Creasy, but Richard Burgon, Rebecca Long-Bailey, and most of the rest have gone for Burnham.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, who has long hinted at disaffiliation from Labour rather than any plan to use the union’s still-large clout within Labour to make gains, has also backed Burnham. “It is clear that Andy has been in listening mode... This is the start of a discussion about a better path for workers and communities... Of course, we will need to see the detail but this is a good start.”

The thought seems to be that backing Burnham now gives you a better chance of a word in his ear once he is leader.

That is probably foolish even for the MPs and union leaders. It is obvious nonsense for rank-and-file union and Labour members, not in the inner circles.

But actual mobilisation within the labour movement could make a difference.

Burnham’s “philosophy” - “business-friendly socialism” - is the same as Starmer’s (“pro-business” as well as “being the party of working people”). Burnham may well use his “coronation” to push through some right-wing policies which Starmer would not have had the authority to manage.

But Burnham is not so stupid as to think that he can just do more of the same. The Labour right which clustered round Starmer is not cohesive enough, or even possessed of clear enough common ideas, to play Burnham like a puppet. Morgan McSweeney is gone, and Labour general secretary Hollie Ridley will be gone soon. (Former Unison general secretary Christina McAnea is cited as one of many possible successors). There is something to play for.

Union leaders

Burnham met union leaders on 2 July. The only report we have is via the BBC.

“Union sources described the meeting as ‘positive’... GMB union raised... ownership of water, as well as union access to workplaces.

“Unison raised the issue of migrant care workers.. Unite pressed for a wealth tax, more action on the cost of living and what Burnham’s plans for reindustrialisation would involve”.

Sounds like the unions got warm words and cold commitments.

Burnham has spoken of a less control-freaky regime for Labour MPs, but not, at least recently, about opening up Labour democracy for unions or CLPs, or reviving CLP active membership, now less than half what it was when Keir Starmer was elected leader in 2020.

Some Labour right-wingers in the late 1950s argued that the party did not need active members, but could win votes instead by TV. Blair and Brown were unconcerned when Labour membership dwindled after 1997, and Rachel Reeves publicly rejoiced at the decline after 2020.

But Burnham probably does think Labour needs activists. He just doesn’t think they need the warm words given to MPs and union leaders.

Labour democracy has been shrunk under Starmer, more by procedural and operational changes (such as ruling motions out of order) than by written-out rule changes (though there have been some of those). Burnham himself suffered from that when barred from standing in Gorton and Denton. He has yet to say anything about improvement.

Opinion polls have shown some uptick for Labour since it started looking like Starmer would go, but it’s slight and probably unstable.

To defeat Reform, and, more of the essence, to repair public services and real-terms pay, to defend and win migrant rights, to restore civil liberties, we need something quite other than “hoping Andy will deliver”.

Labour Party conference 2026

Labour Party conference 2026 is in Liverpool from 27 to 30 September, with women’s conference on 26 September.

The 2025 conference was the least lively for many years, though even that yielded votes against the leadership on stopping all arms sales to Israel, on wealth tax, and on migrant visas.

Maybe, this year, heightened hopes with Starmer gone will produce a more insistent mood in conference. Or maybe “hope for the best from Burnham” sentiment, coupled with despondency about Reform’s successes, will dominate. We don’t know.

The delegates have already been elected, in June or earlier. Constituency Labour Parties and unions will generally finalise motions in September (the deadline is 17 September).

Last year “references back” of the National Policy Forum report - a useful way to challenge the leadership, won in the Miliband years, with each CLP allowed four challenges - were shuffled off the agenda, with no CLP delegate up for making a fuss about it. Labour leftists plan an effort to reopen that channel this year.

Much depends on whether the unions choose to insist or defer. In any case, Workers’ Liberty will be there around the conference, both to sell our paper (officially banned by the Labour Party) and our books, and to help the efforts of friends still within Labour.