With Andy Burnham’s election campaign in Makerfield getting into full swing and many political pundits tipping him to be the UK’s next prime minister, the Manchester mayor’s economic proposals are rightly coming under scrutiny. So, will his promises of real change and doing politics differently amount to anything substantial?
In his latest video, tax campaigner Richard J Murphy has taken a close look at what Burnham appears to be offering and it’s well worth a watch for all those who want to get behind the headlines and spin to try and work out what we can expect from the Everton-supporting ‘King of the north’.
As Murphy states: “Burnham says he wants to break with the failed neoliberal economics that have damaged Britain for decades. He talks about public ownership, reindustrialisation, regional investment and rebuilding public services. But does his programme actually deliver any of those things?”
In his video, Murphy looks in some detail at what Burnham is really proposing and whether it amounts to genuine economic change or simply a softer version of the same failed system. It makes for an interesting and revealing watch. Murphy argues that Burnham’s model of ‘public ownership’ looks a lot like the regulatory framework that has already failed in the water industry.
Burnham is also on record as saying that he will comply with Rachel Reeves’ fiscal rules, which Murphy says will mean accepting the same Treasury constraints that have blocked serious public investment for decades. “Can you really challenge neoliberalism while reassuring the bond markets, protecting fiscal rules and refusing to confront the power of finance?” Murphy asks.
Richard Murphy’s video examines the real contradictions at the heart of Andy Burnham’s programme and asks whether, even under new leadership, Labour has any real alternative to the failing economic model that has created Britain’s current crisis.
It’s a must-watch and you can view it below.
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