Burnham: "We have not been good enough, and we need to be better"

Andy Burnham pledged to bring stability back to British politics as he delivered his first address as prime minister, becoming the United Kingdom's seventh leader in a decade. "I know people at home are fed up with politics," he said outside No. 10 Downing Street. "I hear you, and I want to be honest with you: We have not been good enough, and we need to be better. We will be." The new prime minister called it a "circuit breaker" moment for Britain and pledged the "biggest changes" for the country in 40 years: "a new political model and a new economic model." He criticized Britain's leadership during the 1980s — an era dominated by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — saying it centralized political power, privatized economic power and deindustrialized much of the country. "Many feel as though they're still in decline, and they don't have the ability to turn things around," he said. "And that's why we will change politics, to make it more collaborative, more about problem solving than point scoring." Mr. Burnham said he will put forward a 10-year plan for the United Kingdom later this year, "laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be." "I will give this my all, and I ask you all to pull with me," he said. "Let's build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity. Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again — the moment we bring back hope." Mr. Burnham stepped down as mayor of Greater Manchester last month after winning a by-election to return to Parliament with the aim of replacing Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader and prime minister. Mr. Starmer led Labour back to power in 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule, but his standing took a series of hits over the next two years. His first big blow came over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to the United States. Mr. Starmer later fired him after newly released emails revealed the depth of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Labour's stinging defeat in May's local and regional elections proved the final blow, prompting the party to force Mr. Starmer out. Mr. Burnham became Labour Party leader last Friday after running unopposed, clearing the final hurdle to become prime minister. Mr. Starmer formally resigned Monday morning before King Charles III asked Mr. Burnham to form a new government. Watch more by tapping the link in our bio. #cspan #primeminister #andyburnham #britain