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The first thing you need to know about Britain’s new prime minister is that he was previously featured as a DJ.
OK: maybe not first something you needed to know. And sure: That DJ concert it was charitable.
But it still tells you something about Andy Burnham, who today became Britain’s seventh prime minister in 10 years. He looks a lot like a pragmatic, friendly, down-to-earth kind of guy – more Zohran Mamdani than Keir Starmer.
As the long-serving mayor of Manchester, England’s second largest city, Burnham won praise for his focus on improving public transport and affordable housing. His vocal advocacy for Britain’s post-industrial cities even earned him the nickname “The King of the North.”
Burnham’s first speech as prime minister, released (without explanation!) on Monday morning, doubled down on some of those populist themes – including the need to reduce the cost of living in Britain and tackle homelessness.
Political observers do not expect Burnham’s policies to be radically different from those of Starmer, his predecessor. (Both are members of Britain’s left-wing Labor party.) And the fundamental relationship between Britain and the United States is also expected to remain. very well.
Asked how she would relate to President Donald Trump, Burnham said: “I like to think I have a certain personality myself.” You can be the judge of that! There is a video of his 2022 DJ set.
Will the new UK Prime Minister change Brexit?
Call it breturn or brejoinder – it’s an interesting prospect the majority of Britons, who are now upset over their country’s 2016 vote to leave the EU or never supported Brexit in the first place.
But undoing Britain’s break with Europe will be a huge task. First, the government would need a clear political mandate from the British electorate, either through a second referendum or a general election where returns were high.
Then Britain would have to negotiate its way back into the union…and convince all 27 member states to work it again. Some may approve joining by parliamentary votes. But others, including France, may need a national referendum of their own.
“Countries have very different opinions about Britain,” one European observer he told Vox last month. “There are those who still think the EU is better off without Britain.”
- Did you know…that despite all evidence to the contrary – license plates, hip-hop songs, etc. – a A handful of American peaches Is it grown in the great state of Georgia?
- Today’s trivia: Nahuatl is still spoken by millions of people today. But it was also the primary language that the ancient Mesoamerican civilization? (You can find these and other brain puzzles in Vox’s daily idiom. Look for the answer in tomorrow’s issue.)
- Friday Trivia: On Friday, my colleague Dylan Scott asked you for a Russian name that means “holy.” That would be Oleg, as it is Oleg Cassini – the revolutionary Russian designer who dressed former first lady Jackie Kennedy.
