Burnham says he is ‘finalising’ cabinet ahead of becoming PM on Monday
Reform England leader Nigel Farage said Burnham “comes with no mandate whatsoever” and called for an “immediate general election so the country can decide its future”.
But Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey welcomed Burnham’s call for a more collaborative policy, saying “my door is open”.
He said the Liberal Democrats particularly wanted to see changes to the water industry, support for the NHS and changes to social care, including more help for family carers.
Burnham, who returned to parliament in a by-election a month ago, cemented her status as the sole leadership candidate after being backed by 379 Labor MPs as well as all 11 of the party’s unions earlier this week.
King III. He will take over as prime minister from Sir Keir on Monday, following a reception with Charles.
Asked by journalists who will be in the cabinet, Burnham replied: “I am finalizing these decisions and will come to conclusions very quickly and then I will announce them on Monday.”
In his first speech as Labor leader at TUC headquarters in central London, he said cabinet appointments would reflect “all sections of our party” and “all communities”.
He reiterated his government’s plan to transfer power from Westminster to the regions, saying it would “give hope back” to working-class communities that the political class has “turned their backs on”.
Devolution has been one of Burnham’s key messages since she announced her bid to succeed Sir Keir.
He said his government would deliver the biggest change in decades, rejected the “neoliberal” policies of the last 40 years, including his time in government, and promised to reindustrialise the country.
And in a message to Labor MPs he said he would work tirelessly to create a “one Labor team” culture.
“We cannot defeat Britain’s new right if we are consumed by infighting and dissent,” he said.
He added that his approach to managing would be characterized by “problem solving rather than scoring points”.
Adding that he knows what he believes in and what he wants to do in government, he told the audience: “I have a plan.”
