For too long, only the right has expanded the boundaries of what governments can do. Can Burnham change that? | Andy Beckett

For an extended period, the political left has struggled to push the boundaries of governmental authority. Can Sir Keir Burnham, the Labour Party leader, challenge this status quo? As Andy Beckett, a Guardian columnist, delves into this question, he highlights the political ruthlessness required for Burnham to transform grand rhetoric into tangible change.

The question remains: how much can a Labour government truly impact the nation? Many voters, journalists, and politicians, including several within the party, have grappled with this inquiry for decades, often arriving at the same conclusion: not much. Labour administrations have consistently fallen short in restructuring the economy, redistributing wealth, empowering the disadvantaged, or pursuing a genuinely ethical foreign policy without alienating powerful interests, ranging from the British elite to the United States government to global financial markets.

This widely-held belief, embraced by the left, centrists, and the right, has plagued numerous Labour governments, from the early attempts in the 1920s to Keir Starmer's current administration. However, this conventional wisdom may be misguided, particularly in uncertain times when precedent may hold little sway. Beckett, in his analysis, challenges this notion, suggesting that under the right circumstances, Labour could indeed make a significant difference.