Andy Burnham will become the UK’s seventh prime minister in ten years on Monday, arriving in Downing Street with a pledge to scrap Sir Keir Starmer’s flagship digital ID programme and redirect its billions to cost of living support.
The new Labour leader won the party’s uncontested leadership race on Friday after returning to Parliament a month ago in a by-election, defeating a Reform UK candidate and convincing MPs he could stop Nigel Farage winning the next general election. Burnham told the party faithful at Congress House that his election was “the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years” and promised to “bring back hope”.
“Andy Burnham becomes PM on Monday, scrapping digital ID and redirecting £1.8bn to cost of living support.”
On Monday morning, Sir Keir will meet King Charles to formally resign as prime minister. The King will then ask Burnham to form a government. After a speech outside No 10, Burnham is expected to announce a “reset of priorities”, according to a spokesperson: money earmarked for the national ID scheme – estimated by the Office for Budget Responsibility to cost £1.8 billion over three years – will be redirected to “where it’s most needed, such as helping with the cost of living”.
The decision was welcomed by Jack Coulson, head of advocacy at Big Brother Watch, who said the public had been “clear that they do not want mandatory ID”. But shadow technology secretary Julia Lopez accused Burnham of “political theatre”, noting that mandatory ID had already been made voluntary under Starmer. Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart called it “a huge win” for campaigners.
Burnham also faces pressure on energy prices. Octopus Energy founder and CEO Greg Jackson urged the incoming PM to overhaul the electricity market, arguing that households could save up to £114 a year by introducing a system that pays less for renewable power, and a further £75 by shifting levies into general taxation—total savings of almost £200 annually. “The new prime minister has a golden opportunity to change the direction of energy bills,” Jackson said, warning that reform would take two years. Energy bills rose by £221 in July, pushing the average annual cost to £1,862, driven by soaring global prices after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz.
Burnham has set out other priorities, including devolving more power to councils and creating a “new Number 10” in Manchester, more than 150 miles north of London. He has ruled out calling a general election and says he will stick to Labour’s 2024 tax pledges not to raise income tax, VAT or National Insurance. How quickly his promised reset will ease the squeeze on households remains the open question as he prepares to walk through the Downing Street door.