Andy Burnham to promise ‘more breathing room’ as he takes over as PM
Andy Burnham will promise to give people “more breathing space” when he makes his first speech as prime minister outside Number 10 on Monday.
He is expected to say that the high turnover of prime ministers in Britain is “extremely conscious” and that politics needs to be more stable and responsible.
He is expected to describe the moment as one of “reflection and resolution”, arguing that Britain must be honest about the challenges it faces.
Burnham will meet King George III on Monday. Following his meeting with Charles, he will officially replace Sir Keir Starmer and become Britain’s 59th prime minister and the seventh in 10 years.
Earlier, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the new prime minister was a “people pleaser” at a time when the country needed someone “who can make tough decisions, who can confront Labor MPs”.
“This job isn’t a popularity contest. It makes the lives of all the people outside this building better. And he hasn’t said what he’s going to do yet. These are all temporary fairy things,” he said.
Burnham was officially declared leader of the Labor Party on Friday, after a brief contest in which she was the sole candidate with the support of 379 MPs.
Some opposition parties have called for a general election to ensure Burnham becomes prime minister.
But previously Labor deputy leader Lucy Powell insisted Burnham would stick to the promises made in Labour’s manifesto in the 2024 general election but be more assertive.
“He really understands the bigger, bolder measures needed to deliver on the promises of the manifesto,” he told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg programme.
Burnham will reportedly lay out her domestic priorities in her first speech on Monday morning.
The Makerfield MP and former mayor of Greater Manchester is expected to argue that political stability should deliver “tangible” improvements to the cost of living, as well as “giving people more breathing space”.
However, it is not yet clear who Burnham will appoint to his senior squad. He is expected to start appointing senior ministers once he enters Number 10.
There is heated speculation about who will get which job, especially the important position of chancellor.
While Energy Secretary Ed Miliband initially looked like the most likely candidate, in recent days Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has emerged as another candidate to replace Rachel Reeves at the Treasury.
