
What can Harold Wilson teach Andy Burnham?
Coming soon to iPhone. Already have it? “Listen in Starcast” takes you straight there.
On this episode
About this episode
A northern leader. A sudden change at the top. A cost of living crisis engulfing the country. A Labour party accused of tacking left. Not Andy Burnham in 2026, but Harold Wilson in 1963. Considering his priorities and his focus, Burnham would do well to learn the lessons from Labour's last great northern leader. A four-time election winner, a progressive pioneer, a comms master, who shaped the country in his image. Nick Thomas-Symonds was until recently the Minister in charge of our relations with the EU. He'd been on the Labour frontbench for 11 years - but Burnham's ascendance brought an end to his time in government. A close ally of Starmer's, he's also a respected historian and a…