As three countries move to quit UK, a Brexit reversal might be its only hope

September 27, 2026 — 1:30pm

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Among the many heads of government Anthony Albanese met during his successful visit to “Leaders Week” at the United Nations was Andy Burnham, the new prime minister of Great Britain. Such has been the turmoil in British politics over recent years that Burnham is the fifth UK prime minister during Albanese’s term – and the seventh since 2016. That was the year Britons voted to leave the European Union, thereby destroying the government of David Cameron – the last tenant of 10 Downing Street to serve a respectably long term in office (six years and two election wins).

That instability is all the more remarkable when one considers that of Britain’s three elections in the past decade, two were won by landslides – the Tories in 2019 and Labour in 2024. Yet both victorious leaders, Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer, were soon shown the door by their parties, despite what had initially seemed likely to be long incumbencies.

Although there has been a modest honeymoon for Burnham, just 10 weeks into the job the new prime minister is struggling to get to grips with the same issues that thwarted his ill-starred predecessor. According to the biggest opinion poll since Burnham’s accession, published last Thursday, Labour would now lose 171 of the 412 seats it won at the election. Neither Labour nor the aggregate of the two main right-wing parties (Conservative and Reform) would come anywhere close to the 326 seats needed for a majority in the House of Commons.

Almost........

© The Sydney Morning Herald