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A council member of the Nigeria-British Association, (N-BA), Oluwaseyi Adegoke Adeyemo, has expressed optimism about Andy Burnham’s leadership prospects, saying the new Prime Minister is expected to do “a whole lot of work for his people” as the United Kingdom navigates mounting political and economic challenges.
Andy Burnham became the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister yesterday, after succeeding Keir Starmer, promising a new style of leadership focused on tackling the cost-of-living crisis, devolving power, restoring public trust in politics and delivering a long-term plan for national renewal.
Speaking with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Adeyemo said Burnham’s administration would be under immense pressure to meet the expectations of the British people, noting that the new Prime Minister is expected to adopt people-centred policies and prioritise governance that reflects the needs and aspirations of citizens.
“Andy Burnham is expected to do a whole lot of work for his people in the United Kingdom. For that reason, as he said in his speech, he will be looking for populist measures to ensure he becomes more popular with his people. It was his popularity in the North, being called ‘King of the North,’ that gave him this opportunity to sit on the Prime Minister’s seat today. You expect that he is going to do a whole lot of popular things.
“I like the fact that he said specifically that he is going to be moving Number 10 to the North, to the people, to the postcodes, to everyone. This is not, as he promised, a plan where he is just going to sit in office and churn things out. He promised to listen to the people, do things that are popular with them, and empower his people. I look forward to a new way of governance for the United Kingdom. So, yes, it’s something to be excited about and it’s new in some ways, because this is the first time somebody is boldly declaring that he wants to go to the people and draw his government from the people’s angle,” he said.
Adeyemo also said Burnham should focus on governing rather than calling an immediate general election, arguing that the UK’s parliamentary system does not require a fresh mandate and that campaigning would distract him from delivering results.
“Fortunately for him, the parliamentary system in the United Kingdom allows him not to necessarily go to the polls. In my opinion, that would be distracting. He has a lot of work to do. Unlike us here in Africa, in the United Kingdom, they are expected to start delivering from the first day. Everyone is watching; everyone is looking out in full force. Some people are saying he will fall in a hundred days, some say in a hundred hours, and all of that.
“He’s working in an environment where performance is expected to go on from the first day. So if I were to directly advise him, I’d advise him to concentrate on the job first. Start doing things to take on assignments and impress the people rather than going into an election, because that in itself requires a lot of attention, campaigning, and preparation. In my opinion, that would distract him from doing what he ought to do right from the get-go,” he advised.
Speaking on the outlook for UK-Nigeria relations under Burnham, Adeyemo said Nigeria should focus on strengthening its governance and economic appeal rather than expecting special attention, arguing that a more attractive and responsible Nigeria would naturally remain a valuable partner to the United Kingdom.
“Like I stated in my intro, he is someone expected to do a lot for his people. For that reason, particularly because he said he is looking out for the people, I think as a country or as Africa, we must do things that allow him to look towards us.
“Nigeria, particularly, must understand that there is no government in the world that can completely look away from us, so we don’t have to try too hard. We just need to be responsible, ensure that we do our job, and make sure that we are being that ‘beautiful bride in the room.’ This is not a time where people are going to go out of their way to look at us per se. We just need to make sure that as a country we have a lot to offer to the rest of the world,” he stressed.
Addressing the implications of Burnham’s inward-looking agenda for Nigeria, Adeyemo said there was no reason for concern, arguing that the UK’s focus on domestic priorities would not necessarily weaken ties with Nigeria. He maintained that Nigeria remains a strategic partner with significant economic value and would continue to be important to Britain because of its market size, longstanding bilateral relationship, and investment opportunities.
“We are not going to see significant changes. Not necessarily. When you say you’re looking inward, what it means is you’re making sure that you do everything within your power to ensure your people get the best from you or of you. One of the things you can do to ensure that is by working with your strategic partners, and I believe that Nigeria falls into this category. There’s a whole lot to benefit from working with Nigeria, a whole lot to fetch or benefit from if he works with Nigeria.
“I believe there’s really no reason to be worried. I believe that we are strategically positioned as a people, and whatever he does, as long as it’s for the people, Nigeria will clearly occupy a very powerful position because of our numbers and the products that we bring to the table.
“There’s a history between us; we’ve done business for several years. Like you know, other people are waiting in line. If the UK slacks and takes their eyes away from us, the Chinese or the Americans of this world and the rest of the world will take their place, and I don’t think he wants to do that. We should just be relaxed, continue to be focused, keep our eyes on the ball, and do the right things. For instance, we have Dangote doing big things right now. I don’t think any right-thinking manager of a country would want to take their eyes away from Nigeria,” he said.
Commenting on Burnham’s ability to address the UK’s pressing challenges, Adeyemo expressed confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership, citing his record as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
He added that Burnham has demonstrated courage and a willingness to confront difficult issues, adding that his readiness to acknowledge his party’s shortcomings reflects a commitment to delivering on his promises.
“He’s shown himself, from what he did in Greater Manchester, that he is someone that has courage, is able to speak to the system, and is able to be bold and frantic in the way he does things. My belief is that he’s the kind of person that will take this on frontally and will be able to do what is right.
“What brought him to the seat of the Prime Minister today is the fact that he’s done a lot of great things for the Greater Manchester people, and he is not shy when there’s a need to speak to the people. If you listen carefully to his speech, he didn’t even have any problem criticizing his own party and apologizing on their behalf. I believe it’s proper to give him the benefit of the doubt to start to act on the things he promised,” he concluded.
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