Burnham has a clear vision for Britain – but not for how it fits into a troubled world | Rafael Behr

The Labour leader has set out his plans with passion and ambition, but the story he tells lacks a vital chapter on managing global chaos

Andy Burnham is at home at Labour conference, and not only because it is in Liverpool and he has Merseyside roots. The prime minister is native to his political tribe wherever it gathers. He is fluent in its sentimental vocabulary and indigenous to its folk traditions.

Keir Starmer had solid Labour bona fides. He joined the party as a teenager. His parents named him after Keir Hardie. But he didn’t have Burnham’s knack for turning those red-team credentials into an emotional connection.

Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist

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