Andy Burnham becomes Labour leader in final step towards becoming UK PM | Andy Burnham
Andy Burnham has declared he is ready to “defeat Britain’s new right” with a new, united approach as he becomes leader of the Labor Party before taking over as British prime minister on Monday.
The former mayor of Greater Manchester has won overwhelming support from MPs, unions and party branches, making him the only option to take over from Keir Starmer.
At a special party conference at TUC headquarters in London, Burnham was announced as leader by front-runner to become chancellor Shabana Mahmood, who is also head of the party’s ruling executive.
Addressing a room of senior Labor politicians and supporters, Burnham said the country was “crying out for a new policy”. But he also warned that this was Labour’s “last chance for change” and that the party must do it together, as a united movement.
“This is a proud and emotional moment that you gave me and my family,” he said. “This is something I am ready for; I am ready to lead and build on the foundation laid by one man above all others. Under Keir Starmer’s leadership we have gone from our worst defeat to one of the best victories in history.”
He said the Labor Party was now united, “and we are bringing the strength that comes from that unity to the people and places who have long waited for politics to bring them hope again.”
Despite praising Starmer, Burnham sought to undercut the past by asking whether Labor was “good enough” and promising to “do better”.
“Firstly, I will work tirelessly to build the culture of a Labor team because change starts with us,” he said. “We cannot defeat Britain’s new right if we get caught up in infighting and being pulled in different directions. This is tolerance.”
While Burnham has yet to set out detailed policies, he said the broad areas he wants to focus on are putting power back into communities, being a pro-business leader and building more council and social housing.
Burnham is expected to take over as prime minister on Monday after Starmer travels to Buckingham Palace to begin the handover process.
Burnham will give a speech outside Downing Street later in the afternoon and appoint her cabinet, but claimed on Friday she had not yet decided who would be in the senior team.
The new leader said he would set a different direction for Labor as he sought to work with other parties. He rejected the idea of ”wearing too much Tory clothing” or leaving Reform behind or greening the Greens.
“I want people to understand the thinking behind the political direction I have set,” he said, while suggesting that too much power was concentrated in Westminster or handed over to private companies.
Responding to criticism that he focused too much on the north during his term as mayor, Burnham said he would be a leader for the north, south, east, west, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“This is the time to speak up for all sections of the country and unite people around a common cause,” he said. “I love every part of the country, all its accents, its different traditions and some of its football clubs. But I also feel like they could be more than they are.”
He promised to “take back the power from Westminster and Whitehall and give it back to where you live”.
He also paid tribute to some of his Labor heroes, thanking David Blunkett and Neil Kinnock for supporting his career and inspiring his political path.
