Andy Burnham will walk through the door of 10 Downing Street pledging to give people “breathing room” as households grapple with the rising cost of living.
In his first speech as British prime minister, Mr Burnham is expected to tell the country it must be candid about the difficulties ahead, calling for “reflection and resolution” as he sets the tone for his premiership.
He will also say he is “acutely conscious” that the UK has had seven prime ministers in the last decade, using that stark statistic to underline his argument for steadier, more responsible politics and a promise to rebuild confidence in government.
Allies of Mr Burnham said he will contend that stability cannot be an abstract goal, insisting it must translate into “tangible” improvements alongside the “breathing room” on the cost of living he has previously promised.
Before Mr Burnham speaks, Keir Starmer is expected to deliver his own remarks outside Number 10 and then head to Buckingham Palace to formally resign, before Mr Burnham meets Britain’s King Charles to “kiss hands” and be appointed prime minister.
Unlike Mr Starmer’s statement announcing his resignation, neither address is expected to be disrupted by protesters after police banned amplified music outside Downing Street during the handover.
After his speech, Mr Burnham is expected to name his cabinet.
He has kept his choices close, but is believed to have been weighing up either Energy Secretary Ed Miliband or Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to be Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Andy Burnham has said he wants to devolve power away from Westminster as one of his key priorities
Mr Burnham’s appointment completes a swift change at the top, arriving barely a month after he returned to Westminster following his victory in the Makerfield bye-election.
With no full leadership contest, the new prime minister has also yet to give a detailed account of the programme he intends to pursue in office.
He has said one of his central priorities is devolving power away from Westminster, pushing that agenda through a new “No 10 North” in Manchester — a base he is expected to visit later in the week.
Promising a “reset of priorities”, Mr Burnham has also said he will scrap Mr Starmer’s flagship digital ID programme so money and attention can be redirected towards the cost of living.
His opening week in office is expected to bring measures aimed at making day-to-day life easier for the public.
In an interview with The Times, Mr Burnham said he had already spoken to the Treasury about his planned announcements and argued that politics must help people “feel better”.
Saying that complaints about frozen tax thresholds had been “lodged in his mind” since the Makerfield contest, he added: “So when people, they’re just characterising me as a tax raiser, well again, it’s never that simplistic is it?
“The breathing space point is a really serious one.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called on Mr Burnham to rule out tax rises
Reports have suggested support on the cost of living could include moves on energy bills, including permitting more oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
Environmental campaigners, however, have urged him to adhere to Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledge not to issue new licences for North Sea drilling, arguing the extra licences would not bring down energy bills.
Mr Burnham may also soon have to decide whether to temporarily nationalise Thames Water as the company struggles under a £20 billion (€23 billion) debt pile.
He has already signalled support for greater public control of essential services.
Thames Water’s main creditors have said they are prepared to discuss the issue with his new ministers as they seek a rescue deal and try to avoid the firm falling into a so-called “special administration regime”.
Reforming social care is also likely to feature prominently, an area Mr Burnham has said he wants to “expend political capital” on.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has urged Mr Burnham to work with other parties to address what he described as the “social care crisis”, calling for guaranteed rights for family carers, a universal safety net and protection against “catastrophic costs”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also written to Mr Burnham, saying her party would work with him to cut the welfare bill and pressing him to rule out tax rises while backing new oil and gas drilling.
Ms Badenoch told Mr Burnham she would “never shirk” from holding him to account.
She added: “You will enter office without having set out a clear plan on any of the issues facing our country.
“You have refused calls to come to Parliament for questions from MPs, and you have not submitted yourself to serious media scrutiny.
“This is not a promising start.”
