The Conservative leader has issued a blunt warning to the UK’s new Prime Minister.
Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister today. (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham enters Downing Street today without a plan for Government or a mandate for his tax-raising proposals, Kemi Badenoch warned. She slammed the incoming Prime Minister for saying last week that he could “ask for a little more”, and insisted: “Labour has no mandate at all to put up taxes even further.” Mrs Badenoch warned that even the threat of a tax rise could damage the economy. Mr Burnham should instead find cash to help struggling families by cutting the UK’s soaring benefits bill, she said.
With the new Prime Minister moving into No 10 following a coronation by Labour MPs, the Conservative leader said: “Andy Burnham is becoming Prime Minister without having set out a clear plan for Government.” And casting doubt on his ability to make tough choices, she insisted: “I have found Andy to be a nice man. But Britain needs a leader who can take difficult decisions, not a people-pleaser.”
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Mr Burnham will say today that he is “acutely conscious” of being the sixth person to start as Prime Minister in the past 10 years.
In a speech outside No 10, he will describe his ascendance to the top job as a moment for honesty and reflection, but argue that the nation can look to the future with “hope”.
But Mrs Badenoch has written to Mr Burnham urging him to rule out tax rises. She said: “We will face a damaging summer of speculation, affecting business investment, home owners and family finances.”
The Tory leader held out an olive branch to the new Prime Minister, as she offered to meet him and find ways her party could help the Government cut the benefits bill.
She said: “Keir Starmer leaves behind a growing welfare bill, higher unemployment, and increased energy costs. We are borrowing so much that the debt interest alone is more than we spend on defence.
“The tax burden is killing economic growth and making the cost of living worse for families. The answer is to cut spending, especially the benefits bill, and I am offering to work with Burnham to do this.”
Last week, Mr Burnham refused to rule out imposing a wealth tax in an interview with broadcaster Gary Lineker, saying: “At some point, that might be having to ask for a little more. But, you know, those decisions are not for now. They’re for another day.”
The former Greater Manchester Mayor, who won a contest for the Labour leadership as the only candidate, began moving into No 10 over the weekend but will formally be named Prime Minister by the King at around noon today.
He will then begin appointing his Cabinet, with a dedicated minister for AI created for the first time.
Later this week will make a visit to “No 10 North”, his planned office in the North West, in a symbol of what his team is calling plans to “return power to communities right across Britain and deliver growth in every postcode”.
The summer will see him embark on a tour of “left behind” areas of Britain.
He hopes to hit the ground running with a package of announcements to give cash-strapped households “breathing room” as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
Early announcements will include scrapping plans for a digital ID scheme, in what the new Government calls a “reset of priorities”.
He is also expected to bring Thames Water, the UK’s biggest water company, which is on the verge of financial collapse, into a special form of administration, so that it is under Government control until a buyer is found.
And Mr Burnham is expected to approve new development of oil and gas fields in the North Sea – a move that was endorsed by US President Donald Trump last night. Mr Trump posted on social media: “The People of Aberdeen, in Scotland, are dancing in the streets because the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he will be opening up, all the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil! It is one of the Greatest Sources of quality Oil on Earth, has hundreds of years of Capacity left, with much not even found yet, and will make the United Kingdom, from a Poverty Stricken Disaster, to one of the Richest Countries anywhere in the World!”
As well as facing a series of difficult policy decisions, the new Prime Minister will also have to end splits in his party, after suggestions that Energy Secretary Ed Miliband could be made Chancellor provoked an angry backlash.
Lucy Powell, Labour’s deputy leader, attempted to downplay divisions in the party as she blamed the media for the row. Ms Powell, a close ally of Mr Burnham, told the BBC: “There’s been a lot of speculation in the media about various individuals, which has been really quite horrible to be honest and unedifying.”
Polling suggested the gap between Labour and Reform has closed following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer, with a survey by Opinium showing 22% of voters would back Labour in a General Election, just one point behind Reform, on 23%, while the Conservatives come in a close third on 20%.
However, polling expert Sir John Curtice pointed out that support for Labour now is lower than it was for the Conservatives when Rishi Sunak first became Prime Minister in 2022, before the Tories suffered a disastrous election defeat two years later.
He added: “You can certainly see why Andy Burnham isn’t going to rush into a General Election.”
