Burnham’s focus on left-behind areas- how does it compare to Labour leaders before him?
It goes without saying that in politics, words and actions are two different things. A leader’s first speech to the party that just elected them, however, offers an insight into their priorities throughout their premiership. Connecting with ‘Left Behind’ communities has been an increasing problem for the left, one that new Prime Minister Andy Burnham is trying to address head-on.
To understand the significance of Burnham’s localised political messaging, Left Behind will conduct a comparative discourse analysis of Burnham’s Labour leadership acceptance speech with those of his two predecessors, Keir Starmer and Jeremy Corbyn.
The speeches were categorised by specific phrases that include local areas (not cities) in the leadership acceptance speech. Broader phrases such as ‘this country’ are not included; rather, this research focuses on specific attempts to include Left Behind areas such as ‘good growth in every postcode’.
Jeremy Corbyn: ‘grotesque levels of inequality in our society’
Corbyn’s Labour leadership was ultimately unsuccessful after losing general elections in 2017 and 2019. Despite these electoral defeats, Corbyn mobilised a strong base of support with young people, with his anti-elitist messaging striking with voters. The focus on wealth inequality dominated his Labour leadership speech, but ultimately his vision failed to resonate with left behind communities.
Corbyn’s focus on wealth inequality messaging ultimately lacked a geographical focus and failed to address the concerns of many socially conservative Labour voters, leading to many abandoning the party.
Keir Starmer: ‘We have to reconnect with people across our country’
In a bid to win back traditional Labour voters that deserted the party under Corbyn’s premiership, much of Starmer’s messaging focused on a general sense of unity. Starmer seemingly recognised the importance of winning voters beyond Corbyn’s cosmopolitan voters. Starmer’s speech included Left behind areas more explicitly, including ‘towns, cities and regions’ within his speech.
Despite Labour mobilising support with rural areas in the 2024 election (many for the first time), categorising residents resistant to housing planning as Nimbys (Not in my backyard) caused controversy that potentially affected his support in rural communities.
Andy Burnham: ‘It’s time to take power out of Westminster and Whitehall and put it into the hands of people and communities’
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s core focus on identifying growth in every postcode has given rural communities a ‘cautious optimism’. Burnham’s ‘place first’ focus could potentially mark a sense of renewal for Left Behind communities. Alongside this sharp increase in localised rhetoric, the government plans to analyse each decision through a rural impact test.
From a left-wing perspective, Andy Burnham’s resounding victory in a projected Reform UK seat in Makerfield could be a sign that Labour can win back the socially conservative voters that typically reside in rural areas.