Andy Burnham signals leftward shift in first speech as Labour leader

Andy Burnham used his first speech as Labour leader on July 17 in London to criticize the economic approach associated with Margaret Thatcher and outline a more interventionist direction for the UK. Burnham, who is set to become prime minister on Monday, said Britain made major policy mistakes in the 1980s by shifting control of key services such as housing, water, energy and transport away from the public sector. He argued that those changes hurt workingclass and industrial communities and promised a government that would give more power to regional authorities and increase public involvement in essential services. The speech drew praise from supporters on the left and criticism from freemarket advocates, who said Burnham offered broad ideology but little detail on how he would govern. Analysts also said his approach could create tension inside Labour and complicate relations with the United States if his policies move further from the outgoing government’s stance.