Andy Burnham pledges to “fight nationalism”

Andy Burnham has pledged to “fight nationalism” if he is elected leader on 12th September.

The leadership candidate will tomorrow give a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), in which he will argue against the rise of nationalist politics, which he will say is leaving the world ‘fragmented, more divided and less secure’.

Burnham will criticise Labour for being “too weak” in standing up to nationalism, and outline his commitment to internationalism. “I consider myself British, before I’m English, and an internationalist at heart”, he will say.

He will reaffirm say that it is time to Britain to define its place in the European Union and “stand up and be counted”.

Burnham will say:

“Whoever wins this contest will be presented with a number of big foreign policy decisions over the next five years – and a difficult political climate in which to take them.

“Analysis of the Labour leadership election has viewed it through a traditional left-right frame. But arguably that’s not where the real energy in politics is anymore.

“Around the world, nationalism is on the rise – in a way not seen since the end of the Second World War. The politics of identity and nationality is where the real action is to be found.

“Across Europe, we have seen the rise of nationalist parties that lean to the left and to the right. And established parties have begun to follow suit. Here in this country, the governing party spent an election playing to English nationalism and openly stoked resentment of Scottish nationalism.

“So as nationalist parties take up positions of power, membership of international alliances and institutions will be questioned, as isolationist and protectionist policies are pursued. This risks leaving the world more fragmented, more divided and less secure than at any point since the end of the World War II.