Andy Burnham has delivered his first speech as Labour Party leader, taking over from Sir Keir Starmer on his final step to becoming Prime Minister. Starmer is likely to go to Buckingham Palace on Monday morning to visit King Charles and hand over to Burnham as prime minister the same day. Burnham will then give a speech outside Downing Street and appoint his cabinet in the afternoon.
Tribute to Starmer
Mr Burnham said: "I am ready to lead and to build on the foundation laid by one person more than any other. Under Keir Starmer’s leadership, we went from our worst defeat to one of the best victories in our history." He praised Starmer for putting Labour back in a position to change people's lives, citing new rights for workers and renters, falling NHS waiting lists, rail renationalisation, and rebalanced justice scales.
Ending Briefing Culture
Mr Burnham said "change starts with honesty" and pledged to build a culture of one Labour team. "We won’t beat Britain’s new right if we are consumed by infighting and pulling in different directions," he said. "Fighting to eradicate it, and the insidious briefing culture that goes along with it, will characterise my leadership in future."
Less Toxicity in Politics
Mr Burnham added: "We may find our political discourse in this country becomes that little bit less toxic, and we should be working to achieve that too." He expressed hope that the turbulence of the last decade may not feel as inevitable.
New Political Direction
He stated: "As your leader, I will set a direction that is distinctively Labour. We won’t try to out-Green the Greens or out-Reform Reform or doing what we’ve done in the past – wearing too many Tory clothes." He emphasised winning by being "boldly, confidently, authentically us – Labour."
Taking Back Control
Mr Burnham said Britain took wrong turns in the 1980s, centralising political power and privatising economic power. "The country surrendered control of the essentials – housing, water, energy, transport - and left people exposed to higher costs," he said. He argued that local control over basic services like buses is essential to connect people to opportunity.
Home Nations
He committed to being a leader for all parts of the UK: "I will be a leader for the north, the south, the east and the west, for Scotland, Wales and for Northern Ireland." He called for a new politics, saying the public is tired of point-scoring.
Devolution
Mr Burnham said: "We will take power back from Westminster and Whitehall and give it to the place where you live." He described this as a "last chance to change" and urged a problem-solving approach over point-scoring.
Pro-Business Stance
Mr Burnham declared: "I will be a pro-business leader of the Labour party as I was a pro-business mayor of Greater Manchester." He emphasised reindustrialisation and building an education system with parity between academic and technical education, offering paths to university, apprenticeships, and good jobs.
Cabinet
The newly elected Labour leader said he will not suspend or punish members with principled views different from his own, but will build unity by respecting all shades of opinion. He has not yet made decisions about his top team but promised it will reflect all parts of the party and all communities.
