I'm more of a spender than a saver. I would much prefer to say 'yes'," confessed(坦白，承认（尤指尴尬之事）) Andy Burnham in 2024. This attitude suited him well(很适合他) as mayor of Greater Manchester; it was his job to wring(榨取，费力获取) as much cash from Westminster(① 地理：伦敦中心区，国会大厦所在地，常...) as possible. But after Sir Keir Starmer resigned on June 22nd, the newly elected MP for Makerfield is now almost certain to become the next prime minister. He would be Britain's seventh since 2016. Being in charge of doling out the dosh (and responsible for the nuclear codes to boot(此外，而且（口语）)) is a much tougher gig(活儿，工作（口语）) than Mr Burnham is used to. For a start, he will have to begin saying "no".
“我更像是一个花钱者而不是储蓄者。我更喜欢说‘是’，”安迪·伯纳姆在2024年坦白道。这种态度让他作为大曼彻斯特市市长游刃有余；他的工作就是从威斯敏斯特尽可能多地榨取资金。但在基尔·斯塔默爵士于6月22日辞职后，这位新当选的梅克菲尔德选区议员几乎肯定会成为下一任首相。他将成为自2016年以来的第七位首相。负责分配资金（还有核密码）可比伯纳姆习惯的工作艰巨得多。首先，他必须开始说“不”。
Mr Burnham has undeniable(不可否认的) strengths. He is untainted with(未被…玷污的) the government’s failures and can talk human(说人话（口语）). His net favourability rating(好感度净评分) (-4 percentage points) might seem bad, but it is better than that of any British party leader (Sir Keir’s is -45). Labour MPs look set to back him in force, convinced that his heart is in the right place, something the bloodless Sir Keir never quite managed.(工党议员们似乎准备全力支持他，相信他的心是善良的，这是冷血无情的基尔爵士从未做到的。) Wes Streeting, a more centrist rival, has rowed in behind(站队支持（口语）) him. When nominations close on July 15th Mr Burnham is likely to be uncontested(无竞争的).
伯纳姆拥有不可否认的优势。他没有受到政府失败的玷污，并且能说人话。他的好感度净评分（-4个百分点）可能看起来很糟，但比任何英国政党领袖都要好（基尔爵士的是-45）。工党议员们似乎准备全力支持他，相信他的心是善良的，这是冷血无情的基尔爵士从未做到的。韦斯·斯特里廷，一个更加中间派的竞争对手，已经紧跟在他身后。当7月15日提名截止时，伯纳姆很可能无人竞争。
That gives Mr Burnham precious little(极少（强调少）) time to prepare for his huge new job. He rails against(痛斥，强烈抱怨) the sins of politicians past. Deregulation, privatisation and deindustrialisation are just some of the abstract nouns in his sights. But the would-be prime minister is gnomic(含糊其辞的，高深莫测的) about what he would do in office. He talks vaguely of “stronger public control” of essential services, without clarifying what he means. He flip-flops on key policies, recently recommitting to Sir Keir’s fiscal rules having previously called for them to be relaxed to fund defence.(他在关键政策上反复无常，最近又重新承诺遵守基尔爵士的财政规则，而此前他曾呼吁放宽这些规则以资助国防。) And he is silent on some of the most pressing issues, like how to navigate the upheaval(剧变，动荡) from AI.
这留给伯纳姆准备他巨大的新工作的时间少得可怜。他痛斥过去政客的罪恶。放松管制、私有化和去工业化只是他瞄准的一些抽象名词。但这位准首相对于自己上任后要做些什么却含糊其辞。他模糊地谈论对基础服务“加强公共控制”，却没有澄清他的意思。他在关键政策上反复无常，最近又重新承诺遵守基尔爵士的财政规则，而此前他曾呼吁放宽这些规则以资助国防。他对一些最紧迫的问题保持沉默，比如如何应对AI带来的剧变。