Picking up the country when it is in a slump of self-doubt is perhaps within Andy Burnham’s reach. And football, close to his heart, may provide the template. There have been several occasions in the past 20 years when English football has been in a state of anguish, but a nadir came in 2007 – when Burnham made one of his most significant interventions to the national game. If England win the World Cup, expect the prime-minister-in-waiting to take at least a slice of the credit.
England had just lost 3-2 against Croatia at Wembley and failed to qualify for Euro 2008, the game where Steve McClaren was dubbed “the wally with the brolly”, the pouring rain adding to the sense of despair. At Wembley that night Burnham was with James Purnell, now poised to become his chief of staff at No 10, as guests of the Premier League’s then chief executive Richard Scudamore. Burnham was the minister for culture, media and sport, having succeeded Purnell, who had been moved to the Department for Work and Pensions, this being the early days of Gordon Brown’s Labour premiership.
