Burnham Accuses Former Prime Minister Blair of Underestimating Inequalitys Political Impact
Andy Burnham has accused former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair of failing to grasp "what's going on" in people's lives and underestimating the impact of inequality, in a sharp rebuttal to a lengthy critique from the ex-premier. Sir Tony used a 5,600-word essay to argue that the current Labour government lacks a "coherent plan" for the country and has introduced policies that held back business, urging the party not to move left but to embrace the "radical centre" instead. Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a former junior minister under Sir Tony, responded in an interview with the Observer, noting that Sir Tony "doesn't mention inequality once" in his critique.
Leadership Contest and By-Election Dynamics
Burnham is widely expected to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership if he wins the Makerfield by-election on 18 June, a contest in the outskirts of Wigan that is expected to be closely fought against Reform UK's Robert Kenyon. Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting has also stated he will stand if a leadership contest arises, but Sir Keir has said he will not walk away from the top job. The by-election is seen as a key test of Labour's electoral strength and internal dynamics.
Blair's Critique and Burnham's Rebuttal
In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir Tony criticised Burnham for claiming Britain has been "on the wrong path for 40 years" — a period that includes Sir Tony's own 10 years in power from 1997 to 2007. "I hope Andy wins Makerfield, I think he's a great guy, I want to see him in Parliament," Sir Tony said. "But you know, when he does this thing about 40 years of wasted… I mean, OK, and what, nothing good happened in that period of Thatcher with the business community, or New Labour? I don't think he really means that."
Burnham, who served as a junior minister under Sir Tony before being promoted to the cabinet by Gordon Brown, hit back in his Observer interview, stating: "The last 40 years has given us wide inequality — that's what's responsible for the abandonment of the centre. People don't think the centre has delivered for them in terms of their lives, therefore they've gone further to the extremes." He added that if Sir Tony "doesn't get how that's driving politics now, if you are not rooting your analysis in the fact that people are unable to live and that things that were taken for granted are no longer affordable, then you are not understanding what's going on."
Ideological Divisions and Policy Disputes
Sir Tony's essay claims Labour has suffered from a "perennial delusion — that when we lose seats to the right the country is really signalling it wants Labour to move left," and he calls for the party to champion the "radical centre." Asked if he considered himself left wing, Burnham told the Observer: "If you want to call it left wing that's fine by me. It's knowing where you need to take a more left solution and where you want to be pro-business. Blairism sometimes saw the market as always the answer. That's its problem."
In his essay, Sir Tony said he agreed with some government policies, including investment in infrastructure, reform of the planning system, and reducing trade friction with Europe, but said other commitments were "unwise to proceed with" given current economic circumstances. He pointed to new workers' rights laws, which have faced criticism from some business groups who argue they will discourage hiring and hit economic growth. Sir Tony also criticised the decision to increase National Insurance for employers, which he said had undermined business confidence. Setting out his own vision for change, Sir Tony said Labour must remove obstacles to business growth, take action to tackle illegal immigration, and harness artificial intelligence.
Context
This ideological clash echoes previous internal Labour disputes, such as the 2015 leadership contest where Jeremy Corbyn defeated centrist candidates, highlighting persistent tensions between the party's left and moderate wings. Similarly, the current rift between Burnham and Blair mirrors debates over the legacy of New Labour and the party's direction under Sir Keir Starmer, with economic inequality and business policy at the centre of the disagreement.