Andy Burnham is widely expected to become the next prime minister, after Sir Keir Starmer announced his departure. The Manchester mayor has cleared the field of serious rivals, with senior minister Darren Jones ruling out a challenge and former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns unlikely to secure the 81 Labour MPs needed to trigger a contest. Attention has now turned to what a Burnham government would look like — from his top team to his policy priorities.
Burnham, who served as health secretary under Gordon Brown, returned to Parliament in January after a stint as Greater Manchester mayor. He has positioned himself as a candidate of change, promising a break from the Starmer era. But his specific policies remain vague, with questions over his economic, tax and green plans. The biggest clues so far come from his inner circle and a rumoured overhaul of council tax.
“Explains the likely policies and team of Andy Burnham, the frontrunner to become the next UK Prime Minister.”
On his top team, Burnham has already indicated that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will not stay in her job. That is a significant move, as Reeves spent years shaping Labour’s economic strategy in opposition and served two years as chancellor. She is likely to be offered a more junior cabinet role — a rare demotion for a chancellor, with the last example being Nadhim Zahawi in 2022. The frontrunner to replace her is Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, a former Labour leader and Gordon Brown’s Treasury adviser. Miliband’s supporters argue he would drive the transformation Burnham wants, but critics on the party’s right warn it would shift policy too far left.
On policy, one of the most discussed ideas is a radical reform of council tax. Burnham is rumoured to be considering scrapping the current system and replacing it with a new property levy. Council tax is based on 1991 property values and is often criticised as regressive and outdated. A new levy could be based on current market values, which would likely increase bills for more expensive homes while potentially reducing them for cheaper properties. But no detailed plans have been released, and the proposals remain speculative.
Why it matters for UK readers Council tax affects every homeowner and tenant in England (though it is devolved in Scotland and Wales). A change could mean higher bills for those in high-value properties, while others might see a reduction. More broadly, Burnham’s choice of chancellor — especially if it is Ed Miliband — would signal a shift towards more interventionist economic and green policies, with potential impacts on energy bills, jobs and public spending. For now, voters are watching to see if Burnham’s promises of change translate into concrete plans.
Key questions answered
Q: Who is Andy Burnham? Andy Burnham is the Labour MP for Leigh and Atherton, and the former mayor of Greater Manchester. He was health secretary under Gordon Brown and is now the frontrunner to become the next prime minister.
Q: What would happen to council tax under Burnham? Burnham is rumoured to be considering scrapping council tax and replacing it with a new property levy based on current values. This could mean higher bills for expensive homes and lower bills for cheaper ones, but no official plans have been announced.
Q: Who would be his chancellor? Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is the frontrunner, though the choice is controversial within Labour. Rachel Reeves, the current chancellor, is expected to be moved to a less senior role.
What happens next Burnham is expected to formally launch his leadership bid shortly, with a contest likely to be a formality. The Labour Party will then elect a new leader, with Burnham widely predicted to win. Once in office, he will set out his policy agenda in a Queen’s Speech later this year. The first major test will be his first Budget, which could reveal whether the rumoured council tax reform becomes reality.