Energy, Transport and a New NI Secretary: Reading the Early Signals from Burnham's Government
A new Prime Minister means a new cabinet, and Andy Burnham has used this opportunity to completely reshape the Labour government in his own image, with implications for Northern Ireland. Eleven cabinet ministers were removed, including the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn.
As the revolving door of Prime Ministers and Secretaries of State continues, it is easy to understand why members of the public throw up their hands and say, “so what?” and why they find it difficult to get a proper handle on what comes next.
With a new Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State, there is a lot of uncertainty and new approaches to get your head around.
What have Burnham’s early moves told us about what could come next and what is the impact for Northern Ireland?
Energy and Transport
Right out of the blocks, Burnham has announced the removal of VAT on electricity bills for the next few months and the extension of the £2 bus fare cap nationwide. The latter is a policy that truly represents Burnham’s “Manchesterism” approach.
Both of these announcements will likely mean more resources for the Executive. Nothing that will change our dire budgetary situation, but as BBC Northern Ireland has reported, it will mean a local scheme to provide cost of living support and potentially provide more support for the public transport network.
Just earlier this month, Translink outlined the difficult financial situation they are currently facing. Of course, the Executive could put this resource in a completely unrelated area, so watch this space over the coming months.
Something else to keep an eye on is the debate around what local scheme is developed to provide cost of living help to households here. These types of local schemes normally take longer to deliver and have been caught up in political debates.
Chris Bryant: Continuity or Change?
Our eighth Secretary of State in a decade and one of the surprise changes in Burnham’s reshuffle. Chris Bryant has had little engagement with Northern Ireland during his long political career - but that is not uncommon for new arrivals who come here during a midterm. Some of our most successful office holders had no prior experience of Northern Ireland before they took up post. The key question is how quickly he can get his head around the issues and develop a plan to deal with them effectively.
Hilary Benn chose to focus on legacy and did attempt to move that issue forward. It is not yet clear what Bryant’s focus will be. Could it be continuing the approach of his predecessor, or will he represent a new departure? Will he pick up the baton on Stormont reform now that most of the main parties are calling for some reform of the institutions? Will he work to get the Executive’s finances onto a more sustainable footing? Or will he see his role as leading the charge to get more powers back from Westminster to Stormont?
Whatever he focuses on, what is clear from the outset is that the quiet approach of the Benn years is likely over. Bryant is a skilled orator who has shown in parliamentary debates and in media interviews that he can put his case across forcefully. If his past performance is an indicator of future behaviour, then he will be a much more visible Secretary of State than most of his immediate predecessors.
As the Burnham administration’s policy priorities take shape, it is still not clear where Northern Ireland fits in. Helping shape that is where perhaps the biggest role for Bryant lies in the months ahead.