Burnham becomes PM amid questions over scrutiny and policies
Andy Burnham promised to win over voters “fed up with politics” as he became Prime Minister today. The so-called King of the North entered 10 Downing Street after being the only candidate in the Labour leadership race to succeed Sir Keir Starmer. The former Greater Manchester mayor has been accused of dodging scrutiny since returning to Parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election and little is known about his plans.
The Daily Express asked its Premium readers to submit their burning questions about Mr Burnham to political editor Martyn Brown to answer. Below are the questions and answers.
Cabinet reshuffle: 'Shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic'?
Question: The Starmer cabinet clearly failed hence why he has gone, therefore, what is the point of keeping the same failed MPs in the cabinet just in different jobs with so many to choose from? Shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic comes to mind.
Answer: Rachel Reeves, Steve Reed, Peter Kyle and David Lammy have already been sacked. This suggests, to me, that Andy Burnham is going to be throwing most of the deckchairs overboard too.
Welfare bill: Will Burnham face down backbenchers?
Question: Is Burnham going to grow the backbone that Starmer lacked and face down his militant backbenchers over the bloated welfare bill?
Answer: I certainly hope so, for the sake of the nation. The welfare bill has spiralled to more than £330 billion, which is totally unsustainable. Keir Starmer was weak when it came to standing up to his backbenchers and would change direction like a weather vane depending on which direction they were blowing on a particular issue. Burnham has a reputation of being a political chameleon so he will need to change and face them down if he wants to survive.
Tax and borrowing: Signals of higher taxes?
Question: Will he economise so that tax levels are reduced and borrowing halted?
Answer: I’ve just hotfooted it from a chat with the new PM in the Downing Street garden and eyelashes Andy was already giving off strong signals that he could borrow more and reintroduce the 50p tax rate.
Policy vacuum: What are Burnham's plans?
Question: Why don't you have any policies on any of the big issues of the day? I presume you were asking Burnham, not me! But you’re right to say that he’s been very coy about what his policies might be. Apart from tackling homelessness and scrapping Keir Starmer’s hated digital ID, we know very little. I suspect he will drip more policies out on Tuesday but it’s hardly a big bang, is it! He doesn’t have a mandate and the public deserves to know what his plan is.
Avoiding scrutiny and focus on the North
Question: Why are you avoiding scrutiny and what are your policies on the big subjects and not Manchester, the North, the wonderful 70s which I assume was a joke?
Answer: Well, Manchester is a great city but Burnham must be a Prime Minister for the country, not just the place where he was Mayor or the North. As for the 1970s, well, I was born in that fine decade so some good things came out of it!! But it took Margaret Thatcher to drag the country out of its Labour-infused 1970s malaise and transform the nation. Burnham needs to get his head out of the past and stick to the present.
General election: Why won't he call one?
Question: Why won’t he call a general election? He called for it when the Tories changed PMs?
Answer: There are two schools of thought on this one. One is that he would be crazy to call an early election because a number of Labour MPs, particularly in Red Wall areas, are facing a real threat from Reform UK. On the other hand, Burnham is never going to be more popular than he is now and there are major questions surrounding Nigel Farage over his financial dealings. Farage could also face a second by-election in the Autumn, if he defeats Count Binface next month, which could determine his political future. If Reform’s popularity wanes further then Burnham may decide it’s time to strike.
Mandate for major changes
Question: You plan to make the biggest changes to politics in 40 years. What mandate do you have to do this? And shouldn't the people have a vote to say whether it is something they want or think will work?
Answer: I certainly think there is an argument to be had about holding a general election. He’s not known as the “Messiah without a Mandate” for no reason. No-one voted for this two years ago so why not put his plan to the public?
Immigration: What is his plan?
Question: What is his plan to address illegal immigration?
Answer: Frankly, I have no idea. This is one area where Burnham has said virtually nothing. Both net migration and illegal small boat crossings have come down in the past year. That’s largely been down to the tougher policies of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. But by the time you’re reading this, she is likely to be the new Chancellor, replacing Rachel Reeves. If that’s the case then her replacement in the home office will be crucial. While numbers are coming down there is still a long way to go to fully crack the country’s immigration crisis and it could be an issue that could haunt Burnham if they begin to go up again.
Unemployment and migration
Question: How is Burnham going to ensure he reduces both unemployment and migrants arriving in the UK?
Answer: Unemployment has steadily crept up since Labour came to power two years ago. If we are to avoid going back to the 1970s then the new Prime Minister must get a grip on this immediately. That means reigniting the spluttering economy by cutting taxes. But, as I said previously, that’s already looking unlikely.
