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As Keir Starmer was readying himself for his second Labour conference as Prime Minister this time last year, the talk was all about Andy Burnham, who had given a series of 'come and get me' interviews.
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who → see → interviews
Starmer survived – but it was a temporary stay of execution.
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it → survive → execution
After Labour's disastrous local election results in May, Labour MPs came and got Burnham.
uncertain
MPs → come → Burnham
But as the former mayor of Greater Manchester prepares for his first conference as PM, his main problem is not that he has no mandate from voters – or even from Labour members.
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he → prepare → members
It's that after two months in Downing Street he still appears not to have any serious idea how to deliver the economic growth that the country so desperately needs.
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country → appear → that
It's a view shared by some Labour MPs, who are wondering what, if anything, lies behind the Mr Burnham's incessant TikToks and social media posts.
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what → share → TikToks
On Saturday former Business Secretary Peter Kyle said that the Government isn't focused enough on growth and needs to act with more urgency, asking: 'Why wouldn't we put our foot down and get there quicker?'
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we → say → foot
One of his sensible suggestions is to introduce a tax growth test to measure the impact of each tax on the economy.
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One → introduce → economy
But the chances of that happening are non-existent.
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that → happen → ?
Labour's instinct remains to tax and spend.
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instinct → remain → ?
As Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden infamously put it in a message to Lord Mandelson: 'Every meeting I have is, "Who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others."
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we → put → others
'
Andy Burnham, pictured on Saturday, talks a good game about delivering growth in every postcode, but there is no sign that he actually knows what to do to kick-start the economy
That is the heart of the problem.
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That → picture → problem
We have a government that has no real idea about running a business, let alone bringing about the transformation necessary to deliver serious growth.
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that → have → growth
The tax burden is already the highest since 1945 and next month's Budget is certain to make this worse.
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this → make → 1945
Mr Burnham rightly says that 'people don't measure growth by looking at a spreadsheet.
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people → say → spreadsheet
They measure it by looking at their local high street.
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They → measure → street
Are shops opening or are the shutters down?
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shutters → open → ?
Does the place feel like it's moving forward or being left behind?
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it → feel → ?
'
But that comment betrays his lack of any real understanding about the needs of business, because spreadsheets also matter.
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spreadsheets → betray → business
Costs versus income matters and profit versus loss matters.
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profit → matter → loss
Labour has increased costs disastrously, not least through the National Insurance rise – a tax on jobs.
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Labour → increase → jobs
Mr Burnham talks a good game about delivering growth in every postcode, but there is no sign that he or John Healey, the Chancellor, actually know what to do to kick-start the economy and make a real difference to people's lives.
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he → talk → lives
Rather, they behave like old-fashioned tax-and-spend Labour politicians, making all sorts of promises on benefits – which Burnham says are more important than defence spending – and migrants, with no idea to pay for them.
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Burnham → behave → them
At the most basic level, the Government needs to get a grip on existing spending.
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Government → need → spending
Before last year's Labour conference Mr Burnham notoriously said we shouldn't be 'in hock to the bond market'.
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we → say → market
But all the bond market does is lend the money the Government needs to pay for huge levels of spending and debt.
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Government → do → spending
If we don't want to be dependent on the bond markets, we shouldn't run up debt.
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we → want → debt
This month the 30-year gilt yield (the interest rate on government debt) reached 5.89 per cent.
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yield → reach → cent
Every one-point rise adds over £10 billion to annual debt interest.
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rise → add → interest
The logic is unavoidable: we have to get spending – and the debt – under control.
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we → have → control
But instead of taking the decisions that are needed to deliver growth, Mr Burnham is showing himself to be more concerned with soundbites.
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himself → take → soundbites
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