Andy Burnham appointed UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade
He vows to end years of instability.
Andy Burnham became Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade yesterday, pledging to reshape British politics to deliver a new economic model and revive a nation "fed up" with a revolving door of leaders.
In front of dozens of supporters outside his new office and residence at 10 Downing Street, Burnham said politicians had failed to bring the stability needed to raise living standards, something he said he would change, with both immediate measures and a longer-term plan to be drawn up later this year.
Speaking without notes, Burnham delivered a domestic-focused speech aimed at offering hope to a nation that has, like many European countries, struggled for years with soaring prices and anaemic economic growth. He did not touch on foreign affairs.
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"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 said, dispensing with the lectern that prime ministers generally use.
Burnham pledged to use his premiership as a "circuit-breaker for Britain", arguing that a new model was needed to rebuild the country, which has been in political turmoil since voting in 2016 to leave the European Union.
Just over an hour after his predecessor and Labour colleague Keir Starmer had made his farewell speech to say "My work is done", the 56-year-old former Greater Manchester mayor entered Downing Street, where he said his team would tackle his first priority: to end rough sleeping.
The major challenges will then lie ahead.
Burnham must first unveil his cabinet – already the subject of much debate in the Labour Party – and then tackle a long list of problems ranging from high levels of illegal immigration to underperforming utility firms.
Starmer, ousted by his own lawmakers a month ago, said his work as prime minister was "the privilege of my life" and that he wished Burnham every success, with "my full support".
Burnham did not refer to Starmer in his speech, instead focusing on how he will bring about change. But he acknowledged that some of his programme would take time.
He also said he would set out immediate measures on Tuesday to ease everyday pressures on Britons, and explain how he will pay for them.
In the longer term, Burnham said he would build more public housing to help bring down welfare spending, which would help fund higher defence investment.
He said his first phone calls would include US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, for whose country he expressed continued support.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among others, congratulated him on taking office as the premier.
Under Britain's parliamentary system of government, the prime minister is not directly elected by the people. Rather, citizens vote for their local lawmaker to represent them in parliament's 650-member House of Commons.
After a national election, the leader of whichever party can command a majority in the chamber becomes prime minister.
