Is Andy Burnham coming for Keir Starmer’s job?

Is Andy Burnham coming for Keir Starmer’s job?

Political Currency · 2025-09-25
01:00:37

Donald Trump's wild speech at the UN General Assembly has done more than just cause a diplomatic headache; it's exposed the deep tensions simmering just below the surface of Keir Starmer's government.


His attack on Sadiq Khan saw senior ministers like Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood scrambling to respond, raising the question: in a party rife with leadership speculation, is loyalty still the best strategy? With mounting speculation that Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is gearing up for a leadership challenge, Ed Balls and George Osborne dig into the manoeuvres and what they signal about the stability of Starmer's leadership, in a week where the UK also made its historic move to recognise the Palestinian state.


Meanwhile, another great challenge looms for the government: the economy. With a reported £30 billion fiscal hole to fill, could a controversial wealth tax be the answer? And as the government seeks to respond to pressure on migration, is a return to ID cards the right move? George thinks the time has come for a digital identity scheme, but Ed is deeply sceptical it can work…


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Credits:

Assistant Producer: Caillin McDaid

Senior Producer: Silvia Maresca

Video Editor: Oliver Geraghty 

Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford


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Political Currency

Ed Balls and George Osborne take us behind closed doors into the rooms where decisions are made. Having battled it out across the despatch box, the former Chancellor and shadow chancellor now meet in the studio to discuss the decisions that affect the nation’s pockets. Our frenemies have the knowledge and experience to explain how good politics follows the economics - and expose how the powerful become powerless when faced with market forces and political currents they can’t control. Join us every Thursday.


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Political Currency is a Persephonica production.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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