London (CNN) — Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham entered 10 Downing Street on Monday, making few detailed policy statements but offering plenty of clues about the nature of his premiership.
Optics mean a great deal in politics, so on Burnham’s first day in the job, he delivered bold pledges, without constraining himself to timelines, showcased a more informal style of leadership and brought with him a more upbeat mood to Downing Street.
Ambitious goals
Alongside lofty promises of change, welfare reform and devolution of power, Burham announced his first policy intervention – to tackle homelessness.
“I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country,” he said at the end of his first address as prime minister. Shortly afterward, his team announced an extra £340 million ($457 million) would be allocated as part of this drive.
“The prime minister rejects the notion that ending rough sleeping will take decades or that it can’t be done at all,” a line in the accompanying statement said, illustrating the scope of Burnham’s ambition. At least 4,600 people in England sleep rough every night, according to homeless charity Shelter, but the number of those experiencing homelessness is far higher.
While Starmer typically eschewed such maximalist goals in favor of narrower ones that were more likely to be achieved, Burnham seemed willing to tout bolder objectives. Whether such goals can be achieved, and whether failing to achieve them will corrode public support, is another matter.
Burnham never managed to achieve a similar pledge he made to end homelessness in Manchester when he became the city’s mayor in 2017. According to local government figures, homelessness in the city almost halved by 2024 from 2017, though those numbers are rising again from their lowest point in 2021.
“I will give this my all,” he said in front of dozens of cheering supporters. “Let’s build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose, and positivity.”
Burnham said he would lay out a 10-year plan “later this year” but will outline smaller measures to offer “some help with the cost of living” from Tuesday. Without detailing policies, he also listed the priorities for his government – helping push more young people into work and building more council homes. And he repeated his frequent argument that Britain took “some wrong turns” in the 1980s when “political power was centralized (and) economic power privatized.”
Burnham’s northern roots are fundamental to his “man-of-the-people” image and he has made devolution – moving power away from London to other British regions – a central part of his agenda. Although he did not explicitly refer to the north in his speech, he spoke about his aim “to take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land.”
Burnham’s cabinet
Later on Monday, Burnham announced a flurry of Cabinet appointments, offering a further indication of his government’s direction.
Former Defense Secretary John Healey, who resigned last month over a military spending dispute, was appointed as the UK’s new finance minister, known as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Wes Streeting is the new defense secretary.
Meanwhile, Ed Miliband, who led the Labour Party between 2010 and 2015, was made foreign secretary, while Shabana Mahmood will remain in her post as home secretary.
Miliband replaced Yvette Cooper, who is now health secretary. Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who resigned last year over a property tax scandal, was appointed housing secretary.
Despite Monday’s tight schedule, Burnham made time for several important calls with world leaders. In a phone call with US President Donald Trump, he underlined his commitment to “defense and security” and said “ensuring the security of the UK and its allies was at the top of his agenda,” according to a Downing Street spokesperson. Trump posted to Truth Social saying the call went well and that “we will be meeting in the not too distant future for topics of mutual interest.”
“We discussed North Sea Oil, Trade, the Military Alliance, Demining of the Hormuz Strait, and many other topics,” he said.
Burnham also reaffirmed the UK’s “resolute commitment to the people of Ukraine” in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader thanked Burnham in return, for his “warm words of respect” and “condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed in Russia’s recent attacks.”
More informal style
Some signs of Burnham’s intention to operate differently emerged on his first day too. He delivered his first prime ministerial speech outside Downing Street without a prompter, notes or the traditional lectern. It seemed more informal, more natural than his predecessors.
However, instead of his usual trademark T-shirt and jacket, Burnham was dressed in the traditional politician attire of a suit and tie given the formality of the occasion.
Starmer resigns with ‘good grace’
Just before Burnham coasted into Downing Street, his predecessor Starmer left with self-described “good grace” and a “smile.”
Burnham has “my full support,” Starmer added, appearing to forgive the former Manchester mayor for his role in toppling him and to forget his early attempts to block Burnham from returning to parliament. “As I now cast the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success,” he said.
Starmer has now experienced the brutal churn of British politics firsthand. Just over two years ago, he was standing outside Downing Street, delivering a triumphant speech after he led Labour to a landslide general election victory. But his authority became increasingly brittle after several missteps, U-turns, and a failure to deliver the change he promised quickly enough.
The contrasts between Burnham and Starmer were evident in their speeches. And while they spoke of similar themes, they struck different tones. While Burnham referenced Britain’s need to “show the world that we can regain our stability once again,” Starmer said “our international reputation is greatly enhanced.”
Still, Starmer’s unceremonious exit stands as a warning to Burnham – especially in the face of a populist challenge from the hard-right Reform UK party – and a reminder of the political instability which continues to roil Britain, more than a decade after the country voted to leave the European Union.
Burnham is trying to do things differently, but whether that will be enough to avoid the same forces which have claimed his last six predecessors is not yet clear.
The-CNN-Wire
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