Andy Burnham will become prime minister on Monday with a promise to deliver “the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years” – but Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has already warned he faces a “rude awakening”, branding him a “people pleaser” with “airy fairy” plans.
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch accused Burnham of not being aware of “what the country’s priorities are” after he gave a speech at the Trade Union Congress headquarters in London on Friday. In that address, Burnham made five pledges, including working with other parties in a “distinctively Labour” direction and transferring power from Westminster to local authorities.
“Kemi Badenoch warns Andy Burnham faces a 'rude awakening' as he prepares to become PM on Monday.”
But Badenoch told the BBC: “I will score as many points as possible if it means the right thing for the country. What I’m not going to do is give Andy Burnham a blank cheque.” She described Burnham as a “nice guy” but added: “The job is not a popularity contest. It is making the lives of all of the people outside this building better. And he has not said what he’s going to do. It’s all airy-fairy stuff.”
Burnham, who returned to Parliament a month ago in a by-election, emerged as the sole Labour leadership candidate after being backed by 379 Labour MPs and all 11 trade unions affiliated to the party. He will take over from Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on Monday, following a reception with King Charles III, then deliver a speech outside Downing Street and begin appointing his cabinet.
Senior Labour sources have told The Independent that “lieutenants of Andy Burnham” have been reaching out to expertise within the party over how to reform the Foreign Office. Burnham also intends to announce more drilling for oil and gas on his first day as PM. He is expected to scrap controversial £2bn plans to introduce digital ID, which had been strongly opposed by many Labour MPs, and also scrap reforms to water down the right to a jury trial, while restoring rebel MP Karl Turner to the parliamentary party.
Rishi Sunak, the former prime minister, stressed the importance of appointing the “most able” ministers, writing in The Sunday Times that the choice of foreign secretary would be the most important because Burnham wants to spend less time on international affairs than his predecessor did. Sunak urged Burnham to secure one-on-one meetings with other world leaders.
Badenoch concluded: “What the country needs right now is someone who can take tough decisions, who can face down the Labour MPs that don’t want to do anything difficult. And that is what worries me.”
Whether Burnham can deliver on his promise of “significant change” while facing such fierce opposition from the Conservative leader – and internal pressures from his own party – remains the defining question of his premiership as it begins.
