By lunchtime today, the UK will have its fifth prime minister in four years — a fact that Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, is "acutely conscious" of as he prepares to enter Downing Street. After Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, Burnham inherits a nation where political support is fragmenting and governments have been consistently unpopular. He is determined to buck that trend.
Burnham, who succeeded Starmer as Labour leader last week despite Starmer having won a landslide majority just two years ago, intends to hit the ground running. He aims to maintain the leadership style he adopted as mayor — mixing suits with deliberate ditching of convention. I hear he may not bother with a lectern for his first speech outside No 10 on Monday, and he is keen on "People's Question Time" sessions with voters around the country.
“Andy Burnham becomes UK's fifth prime minister in four years, vowing to break cycle of unpopular governments.”
Before Burnham's big moment comes Starmer's departure. Having spent his final weekend at Chequers, the prime minister's country retreat, Starmer will give a brief address — with a lectern — before heading to see the King to stand down. His team point with particular pride to getting immigration and NHS waiting lists in England down, lifting children out of poverty, and introducing a social media ban for teenage children. A modest gathering of staff and supporters is expected to see him off.
The afternoon and evening will bring news of appointments to Burnham's cabinet. A cabinet minister whose focus will be on artificial intelligence is among those expected. A keen eye will also be on who gets the big jobs — chancellor, home secretary and others — as the new prime minister settles in.
Burnham's priorities so far focus on devolving power, tackling the cost of living, and bringing "hope" to the country. The question now is whether he can succeed where his four predecessors failed: breaking the cycle of unpopularity and giving the UK a government that lasts.
