Andy Burnham's first speech as UK prime minister: 'Britain needs a circuit breaker'

Andy Burnham used his first words as prime minister on Monday to promise Britain a "circuit breaker", pledging cost-of-living relief from tomorrow and a sweeping 10-year plan later this year, delivered without notes to a crowd gathered outside Downing Street.

Andy Burnham's first speech

Without a lectern but speaking into a microphone, Burnham said his appointment was "a moment for reflection and new resolution", saying that the country needed to "regain our stability once again".

He said that "wrong turns" in the 1980s, including privatisation and de-industrialisation, were behind many of the injuries inflicted upon the UK that many parts of the nation have not yet recovered from.

Burnham said that he was the sixth man in ten years to do this job, and the seventh prime minister since 2016.

What did Andy Burnham say about the cost of living?

Burnham announced that the cost-of-living measures would be rolled out from tomorrow and explained how these measures will be financed.

Burnham’s measures include reforms in the education sector in order to ensure that young people can find employment opportunities, provision of more mental health facilities, and construction of council houses, which he considers to be “the fair and sustainable way” to reduce the welfare bill.

Burnham also announced that ending rough sleeping in the country will be his priority measure as the new prime minister.

Minutes after completing his speech, Burnham and his wife Marie-France were welcomed by staff from Downing Street as he entered Number 10 for the start of his cabinet selection.

The process had started well before he assumed power, as prisons minister Lord Timpson quit early Monday morning.

His aides have been known to maintain a tight lid on the composition of his top team till official announcements are made.

The new UK prime minister came days after Keir Starmer formally handed over his resignation outside No. 10 with “good grace” and a "smile", having served for just under two years following his party’s election victory in 2024.