Andy Burnham replaced Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister of the United Kingdom on Monday after a meeting with King Charles III. Burnham was officially declared Labour Party leader on Friday following a short leadership contest in which he was the only candidate, having secured the backing of 379 members of Parliament.
According to the BBC, Burnham's deputy leader Lucy Powell said on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program that his government would be a moment for clearing away distractions and focusing on the cost of living and the economy. Powell insisted Burnham would stick to the promises made in Labour's 2024 general election manifesto while being more ambitious in delivering them.
"Our manifesto did talk about the redistribution of power, it did talk about the rewiring of our country, it did talk about taking on some of those vested interests," Powell said. "He [Burnham] really understands the bigger, bolder measures that are needed to live up to the manifesto promises."
One of Burnham's first announcements as Labour leader was scrapping the digital ID scheme announced by Starmer. Powell said the scheme would have cost a significant amount of money and would have diverted attention from the government's priorities. She described it as a small example of reprioritising.
The BBC also reported that Burnham's government is expected to announce plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, as part of a broader package that includes plans to bring water and energy companies under public control and a new council house-building programme. Powell described the North Sea move as a change of emphasis rather than a change of policy. Burnham has previously called for Thames Water to be nationalised and said he wants to see greater public control of the water and energy sectors.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the incoming prime minister before he took office, calling him a people pleaser at a time when the country needed someone who could make hard choices. "The job is not a popularity contest. It is making the lives of all of the people outside this building better. And he has not said what he's going to do. It's all airy-fairy stuff," she said.
Some opposition parties called on Burnham to hold a general election to establish his own mandate for the premiership. Powell rejected that position, pointing to the 2024 election result as sufficient authority to govern.
