Does Starmer have a northern problem?
Political Fix
Financial Times
4.2 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 26 September 2025
⏱️ 35 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
As the prime minister prepares for his annual party conference, the mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, seems to be mounting a thinly veiled bid for the Labour leadership. In numerous interviews given to the media this past week, Burnham said he had been privately urged by MPs to challenge Sir Keir Starmer. And the provocation came with what looked like a personal manifesto: tax increases on the wealthy, mass nationalisations and a promise not to be “in hock to the bond market”. So do Burnham’s economic policies stand up? Does the metro mayor pose a serious risk to the PM? Or does his pitch for the leadership actually help Starmer shore up support from within?
Host George Parker is joined by Miranda Green, Stephen Bush, and the FT’s northern correspondent Jennifer Williams, to discuss the multiple challenges Starmer is facing both inside and outside the Labour tent, as well as what else to look out for at the conference next week.
Follow George on Bluesky @georgewparker.bsky.social; Stephen @stephenkb.bsky.social; Miranda @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; Jen @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social
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Want more? Free links:
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Presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | If you're looking for a straight talking podcast about money and pensions, you've just found it. |
| 0:05.0 | On the Pension Confident podcast, we get into the personal finance questions that really matter. |
| 0:10.5 | Where is the best place to put your savings? |
| 0:13.1 | Why should you bother with a pension? |
| 0:15.4 | How can you improve your credit score? |
| 0:17.4 | Every month, we tackle a fresh topic with a panel of financial experts who really do speak your language when it comes to money. |
| 0:24.5 | Join me, Philippa Lam, for the Pension Confident Podcast. Find us wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:33.9 | When I left Westminster, which is almost 10 years ago now, I took a vow not to speak in code, to answer honestly, as people say politicians don't do. Well, I do try and do that. So I was asked a direct question by a journalist, and I gave an honest answer. MPs were in touch with me. But let me also give an honest explanation of what I said to those MPs. |
| 0:58.7 | It's not up to me. |
| 1:02.8 | That's Andy Burnham, the Mayor for Greater Manchester, being questioned over what looks strangely like |
| 1:08.4 | a pitch for the leadership of the Labour Party. |
| 1:14.7 | It's just one of many media moments over the past week in which the mayor has spoken out, |
| 1:16.9 | saying that MPs have been privately urging him to challenge the Prime Minister, |
| 1:21.5 | whose own approval ratings have been in freeform. |
| 1:24.4 | And it's come with what is, in effect, a personal manifesto outlining plans for |
| 1:29.0 | an economic shake-up. Tax increases on the wealthy, mass nationalisation, a big increase in |
| 1:35.1 | borrowing, and a promise not to be in-hoc to the bond markets. Good luck with that. With the party's |
| 1:41.6 | annual conference just days away, Sarkir was looking to shore up support |
| 1:45.2 | against his opponents on the outside. Instead, there will now be just as much focus on how he |
| 1:50.7 | contends with the threat from within. So, as the Prime Minister heads for his conference in Liverpool, |
| 1:56.5 | we're asking, does Stama have a northern problem? Welcome to Political Fix with me, George Parker. |
| 2:03.2 | I'm joined by the FD's Deputy Opinion Editor and columnist, Miranda. |
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