The Irish Catholic factor in English politics
Here’s something you need to know about the man about to become the Prime Minister of Britain. He’s Irish Catholic. Andy Burnham’s great grandfather Ned Burke emigrated from Drogheda to Liverpool around 1890 to find work. He was Catholic. His ma’s people were from Scotland and Protestant.
Born by the Mersey, Burnham of the Labour Party was the Mayor of Greater Manchester in the northwest of England until a few days ago. He resigned, got himself elected to Parliament and is now in line for the top job because the current PM, Sir Keir Starmer, who is also Labour, decided to quit.
I’ll spare you the inner workings of British politics. Suffice it to say, Andy Burnham is the man of the hour. There have been six different PMs in the last seven years. So, as center left voters swoon and those on the right ready themselves for battle, here are four questions with answers to consider.
Who the hell is Andy Burnham?
He’s not some mayor from a London suburb. While the City of Manchester is only seventh or eighth biggest in England, Greater Manchester, the metro area, is second only to Greater London population-wise. He comes from a working class family (“Burnham has the rebel streak that often comes with being the middle child of three.”) who excelled in high school and landed at Cambridge. He’s been a Member of Parliament, a Cabinet Minister and unsuccessful (twice) candidate for leader of the Labor Party. He’s been elected Mayor three times, always winning more than 60% of the vote. Loves football. Supports Everton instead of Man. U or Man. City because he was born in Liverpool, which is where Everton is located. Supposedly the friction between his parent’s families – he was Catholic, she Protestant – was resolved because both sides are big Everton supporters. Really. Irish Times on Burnham’s Irish Roots.
Was the Irish vote in Manchester a factor?
Like they say, “Victory has a hundred fathers while defeat is a bastard.” Lots of Irish migrated to Liverpool and never left. The Irish diaspora is still a force in politics in the northwest of England. Burnham admitted as much on the campaign trail as he won the local seat of Parliament so he can run for PM. “Along the by-election campaign trail over the past weeks he was careful to nurture the Irish vote, visiting the Brian Boru club, reputedly the oldest Irish club in Britain. After pouring a pint of Guinness he told a local paper: “I even had a go at splitting the G, though I think it’s fair to say I should probably stick to politics rather than pint challenges.” From the Irish Independent.
When he gave a speech to an Alliance Party conference in Belfast earlier this year, Burnham said: “If only my ancestors, who left Drogheda for Liverpool in the late 1800s, could see me now.”
A Catholic Prime Minister?
From the Irish Independent: “If he succeeds in taking over from Starmer, he would be the first person to take on the job as a Catholic, according to the London Times. Boris Johnson had been baptised a Catholic, but converted to the Church of England at his confirmation as a teenager.Tony Blair officially joined the Catholic Church in the months after leavingoffice. Burnham is a political figure proud of his roots in the Liverpool Irish diaspora.” He told the Huffington Post eleven year ago, “Catholic social teaching underpins my politics, we did have to read the catechism at school but it is powerful and strong and right”.
Who’s opposing Burnham?
To win that seat in Parliament so he could head to Westminster, the seat of power in London, he had to defeat a candidate on the right from the anti-immigrant Reform Party. He did so easily, by more than 20 % points. The Reform leader, Nigel Farrage, says his man blew it. ““I think in Makerfield (Burnham’s constituency) we had a problem with some of the historic things. Our candidate – great bloke, plumber, rugby player, ex-Army guy, drinker, one of the lads.” That candidate left an online paper trail. Kenyon also wrote that women had abortions for “vanity purposes”, and so that they could “shag anyone they want”. In posts made on a Rugby League forum, Mr Kenyon said English women “don’t care” about their bodies in comparison to European women, adding that they “just walk around with their fat bellies and odd shapes”. On the same forum, he wrote that women could not “ref, drive or give directions” and declared: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.” England has a sizable conservative media information infrastructure. All outlets are lining up against Burns. Here’s a typical headline from the day after his anointment as the next PM, 'Messiah' without a mandate: As tearful Starmer departs, his assassin Andy Burnham arrives in Westminster in scenes of near-hysteria. But in Mail readers' poll, 90% say he should call an election
What’s this got to do with the World Cup?
Well, do you believe in signs?
This one is, admittedly, a stretch. As I write this, it’s Tuesday, 23 June 0600 hours. Yesterday in England, Andy Burnham emerged as the likely next Prime Minister of Britain. Today in England, at 1300 hours, all eyes will be on the mens national football team. Should they win their World Cup group play match with Ghana, stadium loudspeakers will blast and fans will sing at the top of their lungs the team’s new theme song: Wonderwall by Oasis.
And that has what to do with the latest political news from London? Like Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis, Andy Burnham calls Manchester home. Let’s say England advances to the World Cup final on July 19th. That’s right about the time that Bunham could be elected the next Prime Minister of England. England last won the World Cup in 1966. A period of prosperity followed. Burnham can only hope.