The UK’s G20 presidency will push Andy Burnham to the centre of the global stage. What will he use it for? | Michael Jacobs
The article argues that the UK’s G20 presidency next year will give Prime Minister Andy Burnham an opportunity to show that major powers can still work together on shared challenges. The author says the forum often produces only broad statements, but believes a focused British agenda could deliver practical cooperation and demonstrate how international action can benefit people at home.
The proposed priorities are a process towards a global treaty on artificial intelligence, action on food security, support to help vulnerable countries adapt to climate risks, and debt restructuring for low- and middle-income economies. The article links food pressures to a possible strong El Niño, environmental damage and higher fuel and fertiliser costs, while noting that the UK’s last presidency in 2009 helped secure a $5tn fiscal stimulus and other financial measures.
- The UK will chair the G20 next year.
- The article proposes four areas for cooperation.
- Food, climate and debt pressures are key concerns.
New here? Start with this
The G20 is a forum bringing together the world's largest and most influential economies to discuss issues affecting the global economy and international relations. Each member country takes a turn holding the presidency for one year, during which it sets the agenda and hosts major meetings where leaders work towards agreements on shared challenges.
The UK will hold the G20 presidency next year, giving Prime Minister Andy Burnham and the government a significant role in shaping discussions among these major powers. The presidency offers the chance to demonstrate that countries can cooperate effectively on issues that cross borders and affect people everywhere, from economic instability to climate change.
The UK government has outlined several priorities for its presidency, including developing a global agreement on artificial intelligence, tackling food security, helping vulnerable countries respond to climate change, and supporting debt relief for poorer economies. These issues matter because they affect ordinary people's lives: food prices depend partly on global agricultural challenges and climate disruptions, whilst AI regulation and economic stability influence employment and living standards around the world.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Global challenges including artificial intelligence governance, food security, and climate adaptation require coordinated international action that transcends national borders. The 2009 G20 presidency precedent demonstrates that a focused agenda can deliver concrete outcomes—such as coordinated fiscal stimulus worth trillions—which strengthen both international stability and British interests through more resilient markets and supply chains. By showing that major economies can cooperate effectively on shared challenges, the UK would reinforce multilateral institutions and demonstrate that international action ultimately serves citizens' wellbeing.
The case against
Whilst international cooperation is important, G20 presidencies historically produce broad statements that rarely translate into meaningful, binding commitments or tangible outcomes. British governments are democratically accountable to their voters and must prioritise citizens' immediate needs—addressing cost-of-living pressures, strengthening public services, and building economic resilience—and such resources are better invested in direct domestic benefit than in multilateral negotiations that often yield modest results. The practical experience suggests that focused national policy delivers more reliable improvement in people's lives than ambitious international agreements requiring consensus among diverse economies with competing interests.