Hannah White

The UK is going to have a new prime minister, possibly by 17 July if no leadership contest takes place. Less than a month is hardly adequate time for Keir Starmer’s successor, who seems certain to be Andy Burnham, to prepare. If Burnham does end up taking up the premiership uncontested, he needs to understand the particular challenges that prime ministers face when transitioning into government mid-term, and use that understanding to guide how he prioritises his own preparation.

Sadly, the lofty rhetoric of mission-led government did not translate into reality. The grand declaration of a ‘plan for change’ – set out following complaints about the lack of specificity in the five overarching missions – identified milestones that never really registered with the electorate. Keir Starmer gives a speech on reducing NHS wait times as he visits a healthcare provider in Surrey.

Acceptance and alignment: MPs wave away control ‘Getting Brexit done’ required a mass of secondary legislation to shift EU law onto the UK statute book. But after Brexit, MPs have been similarly quiescent in the minimisation of their powers. They have limited input or influence on trade agreements, the merger of the business department with the trade department meant the loss of a dedicated committee scrutinising trade policy.