British PM-in-waiting Burnham vows to rebuild ‘hard power’ for a more dangerous world

LONDON – Britain’s likely next prime minister, Andy Burnham, has vowed to strengthen the nation’s armed forces and defence industry, arguing that a more dangerous world requires a renewed focus on “hard power”.

Burnham, who is expected to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister on July 20, said he wanted investment in defence to help re-industrialise struggling parts of Britain, instead of Britain relying on equipment bought from other countries.

“It is right that we rebuild our hard power for a new era that is very different to the one in which much of our current military equipment was first designed,” Burnham wrote in The Times newspaper.

Burnham said recent world events had highlighted the need for Britain to strengthen its defence capabilities, including the US-Israeli war against Iran, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and 2025’s cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover that he said cost the economy nearly £2 billion (S$3.47 billion).

Britain also needed to be more open about how and where defence funding was spent and should reduce its reliance on foreign suppliers, he said, arguing that doing so was “critical” for its economic and national security.

Burnham’s views on foreign policy are relatively unknown. Before returning to Parliament in June, he spent almost a decade as mayor of Greater Manchester and has never before held a foreign affairs or defence role in government.

In the newspaper article, Burnham pledged to build closer ties with European countries on defence and security, particularly France and Germany, while also committing to speeding up negotiations with the European Union on issues such as tackling illegal migration.

He also confirmed that Starmer’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, will remain in his role.

Nominations open to select the next leader of the governing Labour Party and British prime minister on July 9 with no other candidate expected to challenge Burnham. REUTERS