Taming Labour and Facing Down Farage: Steve Richards on Burnham's Plan

July 10, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In the final days of Keir Starmer’s premiership, a Labour MP voluntarily gave up his seat in Parliament — a move without modern precedent — to allow Andy Burnham to return to Westminster. Within weeks, Burnham had won the by-election, become an MP, and was on course to become Prime Minister. As longtime political commentator Steve Richards tells Mishal Husain, the speed of this transition has been “spellbinding.” Labour has never dumped a sitting leader before, and the fact that it did so in such dramatic circumstances reflects a party in crisis — but also one that believes it has found a figure who can stop Nigel Farage.

The Starmer collapse and the Burnham ascent

Richards argues that Starmer’s downfall was not sudden but foreseeable. Starmer came into politics late and lacked what Richards calls the “titanic qualities” of leadership — particularly the ability to manage his own MPs and explain his actions to the public. While Starmer deserves credit for transforming the Labour Party after the Jeremy Corbyn years and for winning a landslide in 2024, Richards suggests the scale of that victory owed more to the chaos of the preceding Conservative governments — Boris Johnson, Liz Truss — than to Starmer himself.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:57) **A Spellbinding Political Moment** - The extraordinary rise of Andy Burnham from outside Parliament to Prime Minister in a matter of weeks, with Nigel Farage as a central actor in the Labour drama.
2 (05:18) **Harold Wilson's Egg Lesson** - Richards recounts a formative memory of Harold Wilson being hit by an egg and using humor to transform the moment, demonstrating the power of presence of mind in leadership.
3 (06:53) **Could Burnham Be a Turning Point?** - Richards argues Burnham's rise could be a genuine turning point for Britain because he has a clear, fundamental agenda about how the British state is governed.
4 (10:10) **How Starmer Lost Control** - Richards traces Keir Starmer's downfall, noting he was in trouble from early on due to a lack of "Titanic qualities" needed for leadership, despite his initial success in controlling the Labour Party.
5 (16:54) **The Seat Sacrifice** - The unprecedented event of a Labour MP giving up their seat for Burnham, creating a path to power that Number Ten could not block, is described as a "Fawlty Towers" episode.
6 (17:23) **The Political Teacher Qualification** - Richards explains his concept that a Prime Minister must be a "political teacher," constantly explaining why they are doing what they do, and argues Burnham fits this mold.
7 (19:35) **Burnham's Shapeshifter Past** - Richards addresses the criticism that Burnham has been a political shapeshifter, loyal to Blair, Brown, and Corbyn, but argues his self-description as "to the left economically, small-C conservative on crime and immigration" is likely accurate.

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Guests on this episode

Mishal Husain

Show Notes

Andy Burnham appears set to walk into 10 Downing Street and take power as the UK’s latest prime minister.

Behind the mid-term departure of Keir Starmer has been, at least in part, the rise of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Farage himself has dominated the headlines this week, amid an investigation and his decision to re-contest his parliamentary seat.

In this conversation with Mishal Husain, longtime UK political commentator Steve Richards examines Burnham’s record and looks at what he stands for. They also discuss how the new Labour leader might deal with his own party and the popularity of Farage.

Only Bloomberg subscribers can see Mishal’s reflections on this conversation, along with what she has been reading bloomberg.com/mishal

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