How green is Andy Burnham? Britain’s next PM faces tough climate decisions
Andy Burnham, Britain's next prime minister, faces tough climate decisions, including plans to drill in the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea. His record in Manchester suggests a clear understanding of the challenge, but he has been less clear about the North Sea.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Andy Burnham, Britain's next prime minister, faces tough climate decisions, including plans to drill in the North Sea. His record in Manchester suggests a clear understanding of the challenge, but he has been less clear about the North Sea.
Andy Burnham, Britain's next prime minister, needs to make tough decisions about the climate crisis. He has a good record in Manchester, but he's been unclear about the North Sea. The climate crisis is hurting Britain, with heatwaves, high energy prices, and poor harvests. Burnham needs to make clear that his government will support green growth and renewable energy.
Analysis
A $60B Vote of Confidence
Andy Burnham, Britain's next prime minister, faces tough climate decisions, including plans to drill in the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea. His record in Manchester suggests a clear understanding of the challenge, but he has been less clear about the North Sea. The heatwaves in May and June, which killed about 2,700 people, also hit the UK's businesses to the tune of at least £2.4bn in lost productivity alone. Another poor harvest would be the fourth since 2020, hurting farmers and consumers with higher shopping bills. If a fossil fuel-driven 'super El Niño' weather system strikes as forecast around the world, food prices will soar further.
Why Cursor?
Burnham's philosophy of 'Manchesterism' offers clues. He prizes reindustrialisation, and local solutions to social and economic problems. Some have tried to interpret this as going for growth at all costs, including high-carbon and fossil-fuelled growth. But that would be wrong, according to Robbie Macpherson, a Kennedy scholar at Harvard University and former head of the parliamentary all-party climate group. 'Cheaper energy, economic growth, good jobs and five more years in power is the prize [for Burnham],' he says. 'An ecosystem of local authorities, workers, environmentalists and communities around the country are racing down this path already and they stand ready to support Burnham in taking the rapid growth of Britain's green sector to the next level. Burnham just needs to make clear that this agenda will run through the veins of the government he leads.'
The Road Ahead
Reindustrialisation can also be green – the low-carbon economy is worth £100bn a year and supports more than 1m jobs that pay higher than average, CBI data recently showed. Burnham also favours public control of utilities. His instinct that the private sector does not hold all the answers could be helpful in changing how the UK energy market works. To bring down bills, Burnham could consider investing in renewable energy, which is now cheap, say many economists. It requires no costly inputs once constructed, creates jobs, and bolsters the UK economy by removing dependence on volatile gas and oil.
Key points
- Andy Burnham, Britain's next prime minister, faces tough climate decisions, including plans to drill in the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea.
- His record in Manchester suggests a clear understanding of the challenge, but he has been less clear about the North Sea.
- The climate crisis is hurting Britain, with heatwaves, high energy prices, and poor harvests.
- Burnham's philosophy of 'Manchesterism' offers clues to his approach to the climate crisis.
- Reindustrialisation can also be green – the low-carbon economy is worth £100bn a year and supports more than 1m jobs that pay higher than average.
If Andy Burnham makes clear that his government will support green growth and renewable energy, the UK could see a rapid growth of its green sector, creating jobs and bolstering the economy. This could also bring down energy bills and reduce the UK's dependence on volatile gas and oil.
If Andy Burnham fails to make clear his commitment to green growth and renewable energy, the UK could see a continued reliance on fossil fuels, leading to higher energy bills and a greater risk of climate-related disasters.
