ANDY Burnham has become Prime Minister after accepting the King’s invitation to form a Government, pledging to restore public faith in politics and bring “hope” back to Britain.
In his first speech outside Number 10 Downing Street, Mr Burnham acknowledged the political instability of recent years and said his administration would seek to deliver both political and economic reform.
The new Prime Minister noted that he was the sixth person in a decade to take office at Downing Street and the seventh prime minister since 2016, describing the moment as one requiring “reflection and new resolution”.
Mr Burnham said politicians needed to “raise our game and rise to the new challenge”, arguing that Britain must show it can regain stability and restore confidence in democratic institutions.
Acknowledging public frustration with Westminster, he said: “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.”
He promised what he described as a “circuit breaker for Britain”, saying his Government would bring forward “the biggest changes in the last 40 years” through a new political model and a new economic model.
The Prime Minister criticised aspects of Britain’s economic and political direction since the 1980s, arguing that power had become too centralised and that many communities affected by deindustrialisation had been left behind.
Mr Burnham pledged to devolve more power from Westminster, saying his Government would “take power out of here, and carry it into every postcode in the land”. He also said he wanted to build “a new economy” and put “life’s essentials back under stronger public control” while using public procurement to support British industry.
He announced plans to publish a 10-year plan for Britain later this year, setting out a long-term vision for the country.
The Prime Minister also signalled early action on living costs, saying he would outline measures to give people “some breathing space” and provide help with the cost of living.
Among his priorities, Mr Burnham said the Government would help more young people into work through changes to the education system, increased mental health support and the construction of more council homes.
He said those measures would help reduce welfare spending “in a fair and sustainable way” while allowing the Government to meet its fiscal rules and defence commitments.
Mr Burnham also pledged to build what he described as a more preventative state, focused on supporting people before problems become crises.
Setting out his first priority in office, he said: “I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country.”
Concluding his address, the Prime Minister called for unity and optimism, urging the public to help build “a new national sense of unity, of common purpose, and positivity”.
He added: “Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope.”
Burnham said these measures would help reduce welfare spending in a "fair and sustainable" way while allowing the government to maintain its fiscal rules and defence commitments.
He also signalled a significant shift in public services, promising a more preventative approach focused on intervention and support rather than crisis management.
One of his first acts as Prime Minister, he said, would be to issue instructions aimed at ending rough sleeping.
"I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country," he told the nation.
Ending his address, Burnham called for national unity and a renewed sense of optimism after years of political division.
"Let's build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose, and positivity," he said.
"Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope."
The speech marks the beginning of a premiership that appears set to be defined by devolution, state intervention in key services and an attempt to recast the relationship between Westminster and Britain's regions.
Share