Andy Burnham’s first week as prime minister has been marked by rapid announcements and a push to signal a different style of government, according to BBC News analysis by Chris Mason.
The BBC reported that Downing Street has released a series of early policy moves, including plans concerning business rates in England, bus fares in England and a VAT cut on electricity bills. Burnham is also convening the National Economic Council at No 10 North in Manchester, a new base intended to underline his argument for shifting power away from Westminster.
Burnham has described the Manchester office as part of a major rebalancing of power and has said larger changes will be set out in a 10-year plan for Britain later in the year. The BBC analysis notes, however, that the announcements so far have been more limited than the scale of that language suggests.
Angela Rayner, back in cabinet as housing secretary, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the government was “on borrowed time” if it did not move quickly. She also acknowledged that Labour’s target of building 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029 was “a difficult target”, according to the BBC.
The new administration is already facing pressure over several issues. Domestically, Burnham has called for a pause in the early release of prisoners in England and Wales. Internationally, after renewing US permission to use British airbases for defensive strikes on Iran, Tehran has claimed those bases are legitimate targets, while the BBC said rising tensions in the Middle East were pushing oil prices higher.
Opposition parties are also adjusting to the change in leadership. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Burnham’s approach as lacking substance and said he was acting as if he were still mayor of Manchester rather than prime minister of the United Kingdom.
The BBC analysis highlights unresolved questions over how Burnham’s pledges will be funded and delivered, including his promise of a large council house building programme, the future of business rates reform, defence spending, and the practical role, cost and authority of No 10 North.
Mason also raises the question of whether Burnham may seek a general election before one is required. Burnham has said that a leader who commands a majority in the House of Commons has the legitimacy to govern, but has not given a definitive answer on election timing.
