Britain’s New Prime Minister Must Stand Up to Trump
Get audio access with any FP subscription. Subscribe Now ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER? LOGIN
Get audio access with any FP subscription.
ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER? LOGIN
The United Kingdom will see its seventh prime minister in just over 10 years when Andy Burnham enters 10 Downing Street on July 20.
The last time Britain changed prime ministers at such a rate was between 1827 and 1834, when Parliament debated and implemented the Slavery Abolition Act. This time, the culprit is Brexit. The 2016 Brexit referendum, in which the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, has caused much political and economic instability. Ten years later, six of Burnham’s predecessors have failed to deliver on the promises made by Brexit’s supporters, leaving many voters feeling misled by the Leave campaign. Numerous studies estimate that Brexit has devastated the U.K. economy, reducing its GDP per capita by 6 percent to 8 percent.
The United Kingdom will see its seventh prime minister in just over 10 years when Andy Burnham enters 10 Downing Street on July 20.
The last time Britain changed prime ministers at such a rate was between 1827 and 1834, when Parliament debated and implemented the Slavery Abolition Act. This time, the culprit is Brexit. The 2016 Brexit referendum, in which the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, has caused much political and economic instability. Ten years later, six of Burnham’s predecessors have failed to deliver on the promises made by Brexit’s supporters, leaving many voters feeling misled by the Leave campaign. Numerous studies estimate that Brexit has devastated the U.K. economy, reducing its GDP per capita by 6 percent to 8 percent.
In the post‑Brexit era, many prime ministers have leaned into Washington. The U.S.-U.K. Economic Prosperity Deal was meant to offset some of the loss of access to the EU single market. But a bilateral, transactional arrangement with the U.S. has failed to fully........
