What can Harold Wilson teach Andy Burnham? episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 7, 2026 · 57 MIN

What can Harold Wilson teach Andy Burnham?

from The News Agents

A northern leader. A sudden change at the top. A cost of living crisis engulfing the country. A Labour party accused of tacking left. Not Andy Burnham in 2026, but Harold Wilson in 1963.Considering his priorities and his focus, Burnham would do well to learn the lessons from Labour's last great northern leader. A four-time election winner, a progressive pioneer, a comms master, who shaped the country in his image.Nick Thomas-Symonds was until recently the Minister in charge of our relations with the EU. He'd been on the Labour frontbench for 11 years - but Burnham's ascendance brought an end to his time in government.A close ally of Starmer's, he's also a respected historian and a biographer of Labour PM's past. We asked him into the News Agents studio, to look at politics through an historical and contemporary lens: what were those last days of in the Starmer bunker like? Why has the European question dogged British politics? How will Starmer be remembered? And what can Andy Burnham learn from one of the political geniuses of the 20th century?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 7, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

What can Harold Wilson teach Andy Burnham?

0:00 57:35

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The News Agents?

This episode is 57 minutes long.

When was this The News Agents episode published?

This episode was published on August 7, 2026.

Can I download this The News Agents episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!