Andy Burnham is set to address the nation on Monday as he assumes the role of Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer. Having taken the helm of the Labour Party last Friday after Starmer’s resignation, Burnham is stepping into leadership amid significant political shifts.
Sir Keir Starmer stepped down from Number 10 Downing Street following a series of poor local election results and was ultimately unseated after Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election. On Monday, Starmer will deliver his final address from Downing Street at approximately 11:15 AM before visiting Buckingham Palace to formally submit his resignation to King Charles III.
Afterward, Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, will be invited to form a new government. He is expected to arrive at Downing Street around 12:40 PM and will shortly thereafter deliver his inaugural speech as Prime Minister.
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Reports indicate that Burnham’s immediate focus will be on addressing the escalating cost of living, marking a shift from his predecessor by scrapping the controversial Digital ID policy. He has described the moment as one for “reflection and resolution,” signaling a commitment to invest political capital in tackling pressing issues such as social care, which will require additional funding.
Burnham is likely to announce measures to reduce energy bills and may also target affordable public transport, with bus fare reductions among the suggested priorities. He has acknowledged the political instability of recent years, stating he is “acutely conscious” of being the sixth Prime Minister to enter Downing Street in just a decade and expressed a desire to offer citizens “more breathing room” amid rising living costs.
Looking ahead, Burnham has pledged to articulate a comprehensive 10-year strategy focusing on “early investment,” intending to reshape public spending toward “setting people up for success” rather than “paying for failure.” In an interview with The Times, he emphasized the need for a long-term plan to reverse regional decline and structural challenges.
“You have to rethink how we run things to get a different approach to public spending and running the economy which is much more focused on early investment, early intervention, setting people up for success and much less paying for failure,” Burnham said. “A concept I will talk about tomorrow is a 10-year plan for the country. I think that’s what it needs. I’m not saying that means I’m setting out to say I’m going to be here for 10 years, it’s more that we’re not in the right place structurally. You go round large parts of Britain and they’re in decline still. The path we’ve got to lay is quite a long one. It can’t be done overnight. You’ve got to show people where we’re going and the steps towards it.”