Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Andy Burnham has been confirmed as leader of the United Kingdom’s governing Labour Party, clearing the way for him to become prime minister on Monday following the departure of Keir Starmer.
Speaking after his confirmation at a special Labour Party conference in London on Friday, Burnham pledged to restore optimism across the country and focus on communities he said had been overlooked for too long.
“We are united, and we put the power that comes from that unity at the service of people and places who have been waiting too long for politics to let them hope again,” he said. “And that’s what we’re going to do, everybody, we’re going to give them hope back.”
The former Greater Manchester mayor will take office amid mounting economic pressures, including a prolonged cost of living crisis, as well as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Burnham also signalled that countering the growing influence of the populist Reform UK party would be a key priority for his administration.
“We won’t try to out-Green the Greens or out-Reform Reform or do what we’ve done in the past, wearing too many Tory clothes,” he declared. “From here we do it differently. We win by being us boldly, confidently, authentically us – Labour.”
In an effort to ease divisions within Labour, Burnham promised to lead a broad-based administration and create a political culture where all sections of the party feel represented.
He said future cabinet appointments would reflect “contribution, experience and commitment” while fostering a team in which everyone is “valued, seen and listened to.”
The incoming prime minister also pledged to make tackling the cost of living crisis a central focus of government, while describing himself as pro-business and committed to strengthening key sectors of the economy.
Drawing on his experience as Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham vowed to devolve more powers from central government, promising what he described as the biggest transfer of authority away from Westminster and Whitehall in modern British history.
“We will take power back from Westminster and Whitehall and give it to the place where you live,” he said.
Burnham paid tribute to Starmer, who is stepping down two years after leading Labour to a landslide general election victory.
