In a historic morning, the nation witnessed two Prime Ministers: Sir Keir Starmer departing and Andy Burnham arriving at No. 10 Downing Street. After meeting the King for the 'kissing of hands' ceremony, the Makerfield MP was formally invited to form a new government. Buckingham Palace stated: “His Majesty received in audience the Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP and requested him to form a new Administration.” In just over four weeks, Burnham transitioned from Mayor of Greater Manchester to head of the UK government.
First Address Without a Lectern
Delivering his first speech from the steps of Downing Street without a lectern, Burnham promised to give people 'breathing space' against the rising cost of living. He acknowledged the public's frustration with politics: “I hear you and I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough, and we need to be better. We will be. We will make this moment a circuit-breaker for Britain and there will be a new political model.”
A New Political Model
Burnham criticised past policies, saying: “In the 1980s, Britain took some wrong turns. Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, large parts of the country deindustrialised, and they still haven’t recovered. Many feel as though they’re still in decline, and they don’t have the ability to turn things around.” He pledged to change politics to be more collaborative and problem-solving, and to devolve power from Westminster to every postcode.
Rebuilding the Economy
He outlined plans to “build a new economy where we put life’s essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again, reindustrialising Britain using public procurement to back British industry.” Concluding, he said: “I will give this my all, and I ask you all to pull with me. Let’s build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity. Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope.”
Cabinet Reshuffle Ahead
Now the work begins, starting with building a new Cabinet. A significant clear-out is expected, with many top-tier ministers leaving. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is likely to be replaced, and new faces are being considered for Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, and Deputy Prime Minister.
