Hope must be backed by legislation | Letter

Andy Beckett is right to identify Andy Burnham as a figure on to whom renewed hopes might be projected (Burnham has brought hope back to Labour – but he must understand how quickly it can be punctured, 26 June). But those hopes must be understood in the shadow of Keir Starmer’s rapid dissipation of the electoral mandate secured in 2024.

That victory was built on a promise – implicit if not explicit – of material improvement. Instead, policies such as maintaining the two‑child benefit cap, cutting the winter fuel allowance, and failing to confront price gouging by utilities and supermarkets deepened the cost of living crisis for millions.

These moves converted hope into cynicism and created fertile ground for the far right. Starmer’s response – seeking to outflank the right with rhetoric such as his “island of strangers” speech – has reinforced that trajectory.

Burnham now has, at most, a short window to demonstrate that a different path is possible. While The Productive State – a policy document written by two of Burnham’s backers – offers useful long-term ideas, immediate action is essential.

Rent caps, targeted food price controls and a clear commitment to taxing wealth would signal seriousness about reducing inequality and improving living standards. Without such measures, hope will once again curdle, and the far right will continue to benefit.

Benjamin Selwyn

Professor of international relations and international development, University of Sussex