Andy Burnham to promise ‘breathing room’ as he takes over as prime minister
Andy Burnham will pledge to restore confidence in government and give people “breathing room” when he becomes prime minister on Monday.
The new Labour leader will set out his domestic priorities in his first speech from Downing Street after visiting the Palace to “kiss hands” with the King and formally take over from Sir Keir Starmer.
He is expected to characterise the moment as one of “reflection and resolution”, arguing Britain must be honest about the challenges it faces and demonstrate it can solve them.
And he will say he is “acutely conscious” that the UK has had seven prime ministers over the last 10 years, and stress the need for more stable and responsible politics.
Allies of Mr Burnham said he would argue that political stability must deliver “tangible” improvements along with the “breathing room” on the cost of living he has previously promised.
Having come to the Labour leadership without a contest barely a month after returning to Westminster, Mr Burnham is yet to set out much of his agenda for his premiership.
He has already said he wants to devolve power away from Westminster as one of his key priorities, driving that agenda with a new “No 10 North” in Manchester, which he is expected to visit later in the week.
Promising a “reset of priorities”, Mr Burnham has also announced he will scrap Sir Keir’s flagship digital ID programme in order to focus money and attention on the cost of living.
In his first week in office, the new prime minister is expected to unveil policies aimed at making people’s lives easier.
Reports have suggested this could include action on energy bills, including allowing more oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
Environmental campaigners have urged him to stick to Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which promised not to issue new licences for North Sea drilling, arguing they would not reduce energy bills.
Mr Burnham could also face a decision on whether to temporarily nationalise Thames Water as the firm struggles with a £20 billion debt pile.
He has already expressed support for greater public control of essential services, and Thames Water’s main creditors have said they are willing to discuss the issue with his new ministers in an effort to agree a rescue deal and avoid the business falling into a so-called “special administration regime”.
Following his speech in Downing Street, Mr Burnham is expected to begin announcing his cabinet choices.
Attention has focused on who he will choose as his chancellor, with the contest said to be between Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
After becoming party leader on Friday, Mr Burnham said he had still not decided on the appointment, which has been the subject of a series of anonymous briefings against both Mr Miliband and Ms Mahmood despite the new leader’s desire to end factionalism within Labour.
Party deputy leader Lucy Powell told the BBC on Sunday the briefings had been “quite horrible” and “unedifying”.
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He can start by reducing the Fat Shanks Effect, the man has been a cancer on all of us…read Nesrine Malik in the Guardian on ‘The Spectator’ MAGAzine to understand the depth of this American’s iniquity…
Will he give trans people breathing room do you think? Or will the legislative and medical eradication initiated by Labour continue?
All I’ve heard so far from Andy Burnham is how he’s going to devolve power to the north of England. Nothing of substance has been offered to Wales, other than his bottom‑up preference for devolution, which implies he will bypass the Welsh Government and Senedd in Cardiff Bay. Today he will become prime minister and later announce his cabinet. If he keeps Jo Stevens as Welsh secretary, that will set out his stall on how Wales is regarded. And even if he gives the post to, say, former first minister Carwyn Jones as it’s been rumoured, will even he still… Read more »
Anything he does that breaks the dominance of London will be good for Wales, even if there’s no immediate benefit. The biggest risk is he spends a bit of money, makes a few tokenistic changes but nothing really changes, even for the north of England. Johnson’s levelling up intentions were probably genuine but the London based administrators ensured he was humoured without affecting their entrenched power.