Andy Burnham Becomes the 59th Prime Minister of the UK (Image: Getty)
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham set out seven key promises in his first speech as Prime Minister. And he also announced a clear direction of travel, condemning the path the UK has taken over the past 40 years.
He was attacking the reforms introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s government in the 1980s, but the comments also sounded like a criticism of later Labour governments for failing to reverse them. Mr Burnham said: “We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years – a new political model and a new economic model. In the 1980s, Britain took some wrong turns.”
But he also had an upbeat message, saying: “I will give this my all, and I ask you all to pull with me. Let’s build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose, and positivity. Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope.”
Here are the main announcements from the speech:
Devolving power out of London
The new Prime Minister highlighted plans to make more decisions in regions across the country rather than in Whitehall.
This is expected to mean giving more power to mayors, as well as creating an office for central government, known as No 10 North, in the Manchester region.
Mr Burnham said: “We will take power out of here, and carry it into every postcode in the land, so that they can do more.”
Bringing utilities such as gas and water under greater public control
Mr Burnham will give either central government or regional mayors control over key utilities such as gas, water and electricity.
They are currently privately owned. But he said they will be placed into “public control” rather than public ownership, suggesting they will not be fully nationalised.
He promised to “build a new economy, where we put life’s essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again”.
Making government agencies buy from British firms
Mr Burnham will order public services to “buy British” when possible, to create more jobs in the UK.
He talked about “reindustrialising Britain using public procurement to back British industry”.
Help with the cost of living
The new Prime Minister is aiming to announce measures designed to help people struggling with the cost of living quickly, but has not yet provided details.
He said: “I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living, and I will set out some of those measures starting tomorrow, including how we pay for them.”
Education and mental health reforms to help struggling young people
Mr Burnham vowed to help young people, after new figures showed a million aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training (known as NEET).
He said: “We will help more young people into work by changing the education system and giving them more support, more mental health support.”
A massive housebuilding programme
Promising more social housing, he said: “We will build more council homes.”
A full policy programme to be announced in the summer
The new Prime Minister warned we will have to wait for fuller details of his plan for the UK.
He said: “Later this year, I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a 10-year plan, laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we’re coming from, whatever party we support.”
And other things we know
Although not mentioned in the speech, Mr Burnham’s team have already said he will scrap the digital ID scheme planned by Sir Keir Starmer’s government. There are also reports he will allow more North Sea drilling.