New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has delivered his first speech at Downing Street, outlining seven key announcements including measures to tackle the cost of living, cuts to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) welfare budget, and a pledge to end rough sleeping. The new Labour Party leader, who was named leader on Friday, has taken over from Sir Keir Starmer after he resigned to King Charles III.
Cost of Living Measures Announced for Tomorrow
Mr Burnham announced that he will set out help with the cost of living starting tomorrow. "I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living. And I will set out some of those measures starting tomorrow, including how we pay for them," he said. He added that later this year he will present a 10-year plan for Britain.
DWP Welfare Cuts and Employment Support
The new Prime Minister pledged to help young people into work, provide more mental health support, build more council homes, and bring down the welfare bill in a "fair and sustainable way." He also committed to meeting fiscal rules and honouring pledges on defence spending.
10-Year Plan for Britain
"Later this year I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a 10-year plan laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we’re coming from, whatever party we support," Mr Burnham stated.
Empowering Every Postcode
"Many feel as though they're still in decline and they don't have the ability to turn things around, and that's why we will change politics, to make it more collaborative, more about problem-solving than point scoring," the new Prime Minister said. "We will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land, so that they can do more, and in doing more, build a new economy where we put life's essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again."
Ending Rough Sleeping
Mr Burnham declared that his new government will help people to "live well, building a more preventative state [and] investing in people's success rather than paying for failure." He added, "That work starts now. I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction: to end rough sleeping in our country." The announcement was met with a loud cheer from the crowd inside Downing Street.
A Call for Better Politics
"I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last ten years to walk up this street – the seventh prime minister since 2016 – making this a moment for reflection and new resolution," he said. "It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game and rise to the new challenge. Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge to make politics work, to make it work better. I know people at home are fed up 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."
Building a New National Unity
Concluding his speech, the new PM 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. Thank you very much, everybody."
