Protesters clashed outside the gates of Downing Street as incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham was ushered into No. 10 during his first day on the job. Armed with placards, foghorns, flags, and banners, political activists descended upon the streets of London to call for Burnham to take a stronger stance on a number of issues, including the cost of living, housing, climate change, and foreign policy.
Mixed Reactions from the Public
The former Manchester Mayor was met with cheers from the crowd once he arrived at his new residence. However, despite the fanfare, many on the streets of London were wary about the appointment. Londoner Shola Awoberu, 47, expressed hope but skepticism, telling the Daily Star: "I think everyone starts with hope. I suppose that was the same for Keir, right?" She added: "I would like to see my money last a little bit longer, so for my bills to go down, and for me to be able to enjoy a bit of spare income."
Count Binface Supporters and Political Satire
Supporters of Count Binface were spotted in the crowds. Peter Began, 72, from Wimbledon, carrying a "Vote for Binface" placard, called for voters in Clacton to pick the Bin at the ballot box instead of former Reform UK MP Nigel Farage. Began told the Daily Star: "He really is taking the mick out of the voters of Clacton, saying: 'You know, you're going to vote for me, you're going to get me back in power.' It's very, very presumptuous of him, insulting of him to the voters of Clacton. Binface is the perfect British humorous antidote to that kind of nonsense."
Housing and Transport Concerns
Political betting analyst William Kelly Kedjanyi, 31, was skeptical about Burnham’s jump from Manchester's Mayor to running the country, telling the Daily Star: "It's just a whole different world running Number 10, getting to grips with Whitehall before you then get to the country." On moves he wanted Burnham to make, Kedjanyi said: "Starmer wanted to build a lot of houses, but never managed to really get there. I'd love for Andy Burnham to be able to get house building up everywhere across the country." The self-confessed transport nerd added: "HS2 is a really controversial topic for many. I'd like to see Burnham re-extend it. If it's going to cost as much as it has done, it's taking as long as it has done, let's stretch it out. Everybody had the same thoughts about Crossrail, now known as the Elizabeth line. Everybody uses it now and everybody loves it."
Calls for Nationalization and Foreign Policy Changes
Ranjan Bala-Kumaran, 48, told the Daily Star: "I'd like him to nationalize the water, the electricity, the gas, because too much money is going out in profit and there needs to be reinvestment, and that won't happen under private ownership." Jim Curran, 79, chairman of the Irish Civil Rights group, wanted Burnham to take a stronger stance on the Palestinian conflict and stop providing arms to Israel. Curran told the Daily Star: "I'm not excited to see him, because Andy Burnham is a member of Labour Friends of Israel. And the Labour Party under the leadership of Keir Starmer was supplying bombs, guns, and planes to the terrorist and apartheid state of Israel and bombing the defenceless Palestinians. I want no money going to the terrorist and apartheid state of Israel, and I want no money being spent on Ukraine."
Climate Activists Demand End to Fossil Fuel Licenses
Robin Wells, 33, from the climate change activist group Fossil Free London, called for Burnham to refrain from issuing new oil and gas drilling licences. Wells told the Daily Star: "He might be about to approve a death sentence for the UK in the form of the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. It will produce the same emissions as the 28 lowest-income countries in the world combined, or 56 coal-fired power stations. The one thing we want him to do is make a stand to stop all new oil and gas drilling in the UK for the health, security, and well-being of the UK population, who are already sweating through heat waves. 2,700 people died in the first two of this year. Facing wildfires and flooding is only set to increase, destroying people's homes and well-being, too."
Other Protests and Arrests
A Restore Britain supporter was spotted on the ground waving a Union Jack flag while engaging in a shouting match with climate change protesters over camera space. The Daily Star approached Restore Britain supporters for their thoughts on the incoming Prime Minister, but they refused to speak. One man was arrested outside Downing Street, according to reports. Andy Burnham met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, where the King invited him to form a new government.
