Andy Burnham has promised to end four decades of neoliberalism, but his cabinet choices raise serious doubts about his commitment to that pledge. The first test of his leadership was always going to be the team he assembled, and the red flags are impossible to ignore.
Burnham's Cabinet: A Shift Away from Radical Change?
Ending neoliberalism would mean reversing privatisation, unleashing public investment, and using state power to reshape the economy. Yet Burnham's support for the government's suffocating fiscal rules and his preference for vague language like “public control” over public ownership had already raised eyebrows. When it came to appointing a chancellor, the obvious choice for a truly transformative agenda was Ed Miliband.
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Why Ed Miliband Was Overlooked
Miliband has been on a political journey since his 2015 defeat, concluding that his response was “not big enough, not bold enough.” As energy secretary, he combined dynamism with a genuine determination to challenge the status quo. He established the publicly owned Great British Energy, returned energy-system planning to public hands, and pursued an interventionist industrial policy. Yet Burnham apparently folded under a loud campaign against Miliband's appointment, fearing a market backlash.
Comparison: Burnham's Promises vs. Cabinet Reality
| Promise | Reality (Cabinet Choices) |
|---|---|
| End four decades of neoliberalism | Appointed moderate figures like Healey (chancellor) and Streeting (defence secretary) |
| Return privatised services to public ownership | Prefers “public control” language; no concrete nationalisations announced |
| Challenge Treasury's fiscal rules | Supported government’s suffocating fiscal rules; no radical reform |
| Unleash public investment | Continued austerity-era spending constraints |
Key Takeaways from the Cabinet Appointments
- Moderation over radicalism: Burnham opted for safe, mainstream figures rather than bold left-wingers.
- Miliband sidelined: The one minister with a proven record of challenging the status quo was left out of the top economic role.
- Fiscal orthodoxy preserved: The Treasury’s role in Britain’s long economic decline remains unchallenged.
- Neoliberalism continues: The cabinet composition signals a retreat from the promised break with the past.
FAQ: Burnham's Cabinet and the End of Neoliberalism
Why was Ed Miliband not chosen as chancellor?
What does this cabinet say about Burnham's commitment to ending neoliberalism?
What are the fiscal rules that Burnham supports?
Could Burnham still deliver on his promise later?
Burnham’s cabinet is a missed opportunity. For those who believed his rhetoric about ending four decades of neoliberalism, the appointments of Healey and Streeting send a clear signal: the status quo remains firmly entrenched. Whether Burnham can recover his radical agenda or will continue to cave to market pressure is a question that will define his leadership—and the UK’s economic future.
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