Phil Tinline – Andy Burnham’s Great Power Struggle

The Prospect Podcast | 02 September 2026 | 0h 34m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify

Interview with Phil Tinline about his Prospect article Andy Burnham’s Great Power Struggle. Discusses how Andy Burnham’s theory of power, shaped by the Hillsborough tragedy and his mayoral tenure, posits that parliamentary whipping effectively puts 50-odd unelected Whitehall mandarins in charge, governing in the interest of the southeast of the UK. Argues that Burnham’s worldview is too narrow, targeting only Whitehall mandarins while ignoring private corporate dominance. Suggests that to combat right-wing populism, Burnham must successfully weave concrete economic reforms into a compelling narrative of structural change.