Andy Burnham, Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade, must unite a deeply divided country. His plans are ambitious: he wants to reduce the cost of living, stimulate the economy and ease the burden on social systems.
Von Lisa-Marie Rehling, ARD London
Even the start at 10 Downing Street is quite unusual. When Andy Burnham stands before the familiar back doors of the seat of government to the applause of his supporters, there is no pulpit there. Britain’s seventh prime minister in ten years breaks with tradition in his maiden speech in his first hour in office.
He wants to set an example for everyone for whom politics is distant and isolated, who do not feel heard. “People are tired of politics. I hear you,” he says. “I’ll be honest: we weren’t good enough, we need to improve – and we will.”
Burnham is welcomed into Downing Street by friends, supporters and comrades from his time as Mayor of Manchester and hugs his mother in the crowd. Those gathered here have high hopes for him. Now he has to convince the rest of the country.
Starmer makes positive points
About an hour and a half earlier, Keir Starmer says goodbye after two years in office. Before he goes to the King to formally retire, he speaks for the last time outside Number 10 Downing Street – with a platform reserved for him.
He has achieved a lot, Starmer says as he leaves, and has given Labor back responsibility for government. His record? Consistently positive. “Britain is stronger and fairer than it was two years ago,” he says.
“Our economy is stronger, our public services are booming, children are being lifted out of poverty every day, immigration is falling, defense and security are strengthening, and our reputation on the international stage has improved.” Starmer says he leaves willingly, smiling and proud of his achievements.
Larry the cat has lived in Downing Street for 15 years, unaffected by any political turmoil.
Burnham will be Ten Year Plan submit for consideration
Now he hands over power to Burnham, who has taken on major tasks: in his first speech, he declared that he wanted to radically change the political and economic system. By the end of the year, he wants to present a ten-year plan on this issue. But he already wants to give people more breathing room, especially given the high cost of living. He wants to provide details on Tuesday.
Burnham’s main focus is on domestic policy, as he made clear in the weeks before his appointment: decentralize politics and bring it closer to the people, reduce the cost of living, stimulate the economy, return public services to the public sector, ease the burden on social systems, build social housing.
It’s unclear how this would work financially for a heavily burdened household. Burnham’s logic: Anyone who invests in people early and gives them more opportunities will end up saving that money in the social system, for example. He says: “We want to help people live well. We want to create a preventative state in which people invest in their success and do not have to pay for their failures.”
Burnham wants to unite the country and the party again
With his policies, Burnham must unite not only a country deeply divided by Brexit and the ongoing economic crisis, but also his party. On Friday, when he took up his post as party leader, Burnham said he wanted to reunite the various factions and return Labor to its roots as a labor party.
How he wants to do this will be shown by his election to the cabinet of ministers. His policies and promises are already being perceived as a counter-proposal to reformist Britain, proposing a return to its social democratic roots. He says he wants to put caring for people at the center of his work. “I will do my best to complete this task and look forward to your support.”
Support from the conservative camp?
Burnham can also hope for conservative support. Their party leader Kemi Badenoch said this morning that she would be willing to support Burnham if, for example, government spending were cut.
Conservative media and the right-wing populist party Reform UK, on the contrary, sound completely different: Burnham is too left-wing for them, his plans cannot be funded – and in general, according to Reform UK politician Robert Jenrick, Burnham does not have a mandate and should call new elections.
He, in turn, appears to be preparing for a long tenure as prime minister. Because Burnham also dedicated himself to big, small goals: to give the country a new sense of unity and positivity, to find a common purpose to believe in itself again. And: restore hope.