Andy Burnham must use his heritage of Catholic social teaching

This article originally appeared in The Times and is republished with permission.

When it comes to faith and politics, prime ministers tend to live by Alastair Campbell’s maxim, that “we don’t do God”. The spin doctor was said to have intervened to stop his old boss, Tony Blair, discussing his faith in an interview. Margaret Thatcher quoting St Francis of Assisi on the steps of Downing Street after her general election victory in 1979 was the exception, not the rule.

Andy Burnham’s first speech as prime minister on Monday seemed to fit snugly into that established pattern — his talk of “fiscal rules” and “reindustrialising Britain” paid little reference to faith or religion.

But look a little deeper, and his opening speech was steeped in Burnham’s Roman Catholic upbringing, and specifically in Catholic social teaching (CST). So what clues does CST give to help predict the direction of Burnham’s Britain?

Like me, Burnham was born in Liverpool, a city famed for its Catholic heritage and where CST is part of daily life. Often referred to as Catholicism’s best-kept secret, CST forms and shapes the Church’s thinking through generations as successive popes speak out on the issues of their day.

Patrick Maguire’s excellent article last month reminded us that Burnham was a Liverpool altar boy. His worldview was profoundly shaped by the Archbishop of Liverpool, Derek Worlock, a figure who attracted controversy for his humane reaction to the Toxteth riots. Worlock argued it was not enough to pray for your neighbour, if you ignored “how he is to live: his wellbeing, his freedom, his prosperity or poverty”. He was a strong proponent of Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum (Of revolutionary change), which formed the cornerstone of CST. It argued for the rights of workers, in the wake of seismic technological change caused by the Industrial Revolution, which had transformed cities such as Liverpool and Manchester.

Look again at Burnham’s lectern-less first speech, and familiar themes from CST quickly emerge. Burnham never uses theological language, but as the writer Paul Vallely points out, his “roots” in Catholic thinking are clear. His promise to “take power out of here [Westminster] and carry it into every postcode in the land” echoes one of the key tenets of CST — “subsidiarity” is a difficult word that simply means decisions should be made at the most local level possible. At the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), we talk about “localisation”, shifting power to local actors rather than dictating from the centre. Burnham’s declaration to place “the care of people at the heart of everything I do” also chimes with CST’s focus on respecting human dignity.

To understand how CST might impact Burnham’s thinking, it’s best to think of it not as a manifesto, but as a set of principles. Growing up in Liverpool, I heard it preached on a Sunday and witnessed it in my workplace during the week. Like Andy, I also saw it lived out, in justice and peace groups taking action on local and international issues; in the parish credit union and in the community action group’s training on welfare rights.

Like all the best Church teaching, it is challenging. Its calls can be at odds with political or secular ideologies. Witness, for example, Pope Francis speaking on migration, or Pope Leo creating space for dialogue and peace. CST offers a reliable framework on life for everyone, including those in leadership. It speaks into people’s daily experiences and provides a valuable guide for making decisions.

As he begins his tenure, Burnham — like all prime ministers before him — must look at where we are as a country and the world we’re living in and reflect on how he can make both better. Pope Francis said: “True statecraft is manifest when, in difficult times, we uphold high principles and think of the long-term common good.” It’s no coincidence that both he and his successor and Pope Leo XIV proved popular when they called for greater action on the climate crisis or the need to regulate AI.

If Burnham wishes to make his mark on the world, he has the ideal opportunity ahead as Britain prepares to accept the G20 presidency from the United States later this year. CST can inform his decisions here too, addressing a global financial system that favours the rich over the poor, traps countries in debt, and averts its eyes from horrors in places such as Gaza and Sudan.

Burnham has said he intends to “give people hope”. As he embarks on the huge tasks ahead of him, I hope and pray he can be encouraged and strengthened by the social teaching of the Church. It is a rich treasure that has much to offer all of us.

Christine Allen, Director of CAFOD