New PM Andy Burnham to reshape UK's international role

Andy Burnham, who spent nine years as mayor of Manchester and earned the nickname "King of the North," will officially become prime minister on July 20, replacing Keir Starmer. Under his leadership, Manchester's economy grew faster than the national average and poverty declined in inner districts. Burnham cultivated an approachable image, often wearing dark T-shirts, jeans, and simple black-framed glasses. His relaxed manner and quick wit made him popular across northern England. He recently won a parliamentary by-election by a landslide, securing a seat in the House of Commons.

Nearly all Labour MPs back him, hoping he can halt the rise of Nigel Farage's anti-immigration party, Reform UK. Burnham's career so far has given foreign policy only a minor role, but he must quickly establish himself as an international player. US President Donald Trump, when asked about Burnham, said he did not know him and thought he was "the mayor of a small city." Burnham can hardly dwell on the dismissive remark given the long list of foreign policy challenges.

Britain is closely tied to the United States through the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and depends heavily on US security cooperation. An open conflict with Trump would be risky. Under Starmer, relations with Trump became strained after London initially refused to allow US use of British bases for strikes on Iran. Trump criticized Starmer, saying he was "no Winston Churchill."

On the Middle East, Burnham may steer a new course. He has pledged to increase pressure on Israel, adopting tougher sanctions and banning trade in goods from illegal settlements. He also apologized for Britain's initial support of Israel's military campaign in Gaza. In an article for The Times, Burnham reaffirmed Britain's commitment to its leadership role and alliances. He said Britain's security is directly linked to Ukraine's, suggesting continued support for President Zelenskyy. He also pledged to maintain Britain's nuclear deterrent.

It is not yet clear whether Burnham will appoint a new foreign secretary or retain Yvette Cooper. However, Jonathan Powell is expected to keep the job of national security adviser—a win for Burnham, as Powell is widely regarded as one of Britain's most accomplished diplomats, with strong ties in both Washington and Kyiv.

How Burnham will approach relations with Brussels remains an open question. At last year's Labour Party conference, he said he hoped Britain would rejoin the European Union "within my lifetime." Under Starmer, ties with the EU improved significantly, and many pro-Europeans hope Burnham will go further. Anand Menon, a Europe expert at King's College London, is more skeptical, believing Burnham will give less priority to the "reset" with the EU because it requires political effort while delivering relatively little. Menon notes that migration to Britain has fallen sharply, which could eventually allow limited EU immigration and closer economic cooperation.

Mihir Sharma of the IPPR believes Burnham could propose an ambitious European security pact covering military cooperation, clean technology supply chains, and artificial intelligence. He argues that Britain is a major military power and that European security would be strengthened if the country participated in defense projects and helped protect Europe's industrial base. Sharma suggests seeking new partners within the EU, such as Nordic countries or Poland, which he believes would be more receptive to closer defense cooperation than France or Germany.

So far, there are few concrete indications of how the new prime minister intends to shape Britain's relations worldwide. In Manchester, pragmatism, approachability, and political instinct made him one of Britain's most popular politicians. On the international stage, these qualities alone are unlikely to be enough.