On a grey morning in Manchester, Andy Burnham stood at a desk in a newly opened government office and declared it “the best day of my life”. The prime minister had just launched No 10 North, a hub in his hometown that he says will be “the nerve centre for a rewired Britain”. It was the most visible symbol yet of a new leader who has promised sweeping change – and who, in his first week, has already made decisions that will affect everything from your bus fare to when you next vote.
Andy Burnham became prime minister after succeeding Keir Starmer. He has moved quickly to set a distinct direction. In an exclusive interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Burnham explicitly ruled out calling an early general election, saying “I don’t think people want it” and insisting he would “honour” the manifesto on which Starmer’s government was elected. That means the next election is not expected until 2029. He has also visited Somerset, Essex and Glasgow, and launched No 10 North in Manchester, gathering cabinet ministers, civil servants and regional mayors.
“Andy Burnham's first moves as PM: no early election, devolution, social care reform, and new immigration rules.”
Burnham’s urgency is partly personal. His father Roy has Alzheimer’s, and he has talked about seeing “what the staff have to put up with” in social care. As health secretary more than 15 years ago, he tried and failed to reform the system. Now he says “the system’s broken” and he wants to start creating a National Care Service before the next general election. He is bringing forward Louise Casey’s review into the sector, originally due to conclude in 2028. He is also considering exempting hundreds of thousands of existing care workers from the home secretary’s planned tougher immigration rules, a move that could ease chronic staffing shortages.
For UK readers, these early decisions have real-world consequences. Ruling out an early election removes the uncertainty of a snap vote and gives Burnham time to implement his agenda – but also ties him to a manifesto he did not write. His focus on devolution means more power and money for mayors: he is expected to give Sadiq Khan and other metro mayors a share of income tax revenue to fund local infrastructure and job creation. And his cost-of-living blitz continues: he has already announced a nationwide single fare bus cap at £2 and plans to scrap VAT on household electricity bills.
Q: Will there be an early general election? No. Andy Burnham has repeatedly ruled out an early election, saying “there is no general election” and that he will honour the manifesto people voted for. The next election is scheduled for 2029.
Q: What is No 10 North? It is a new government office in Manchester, launched by Burnham as part of his plan to devolve power away from Westminster. He called it “the nerve centre for a rewired Britain” and held his first cabinet meeting there with regional mayors.
Q: How will social care be reformed? Burnham wants to start building a National Care Service before the next election. He has brought forward Louise Casey’s review and is considering exempting care workers from stricter immigration rules. He has previously argued for replacing inheritance tax with a levy on estates to fund universal care, but that proposal was dropped after criticism.
What happens next is a flurry of policy announcements. Burnham will give a major speech next week on the National Care Service, likely discussing his father’s experience. The Home Office will consult on immigration exemptions for care workers. And mayors across England are waiting to learn how much income tax revenue they will control. For a prime minister who says he wants to “get Britain focused on getting the country back where it should be”, the hard part is just beginning.