What Andy Burnham’s first 100 days as prime minister could look like
Andy Burnham has been confirmed as the UK’s new prime minister after emerging as the Labour’s only eligible candidate for leadership.
The Makerfield MP received a total of 379 nominations from his party’s MPs and was confirmed as the new party leader in a special conference held on Friday. His appointment comes following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer last month.
Mr Burnham will officially become the new UK prime minister on Monday (July 20) after Sir Keir officially hands his resignation into the King. As he’s handed the keys to No 10, Mr Burnham will follow a choreographed pattern of visits, calls and key decisions.
While some of the timings may change, Mr Burnham’s first days as PM will likely look very similar to his predecessors, involving key visits, calls and decisions.
Mr Burnham’s first week at No 10 will kick-off with a visit to Buckingham Palace for him to meet with the King, where he will officially be asked to form a government following the resignation of Sir Keir.
It is an age-old convention for the new prime minister to meet the monarch at the palace, with Liz Truss being the only PM to break with tradition since Herbert Asquith as she was appointed at Balmoral due to concerns over the Queens’ mobility.
From there, Mr Burnham will head on to Downing Street where he will make a public address before entering No 10. Inside, the new Prime Minister will typically be met by the cabinet secretary, a role currently held by Dame Antonia Romeo.
Day one briefings will then commence, with the PM receiving formal advice from the civil service regarding key issues and responsibilities and decisions on immediate policy and structures.
A new prime minister also needs to write letters to the commanders of the four nuclear submarines which maintain the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent. When Mr Burnham writes these letters, they will replace Sir Keir’s instructions on what to do in the event of a nuclear war. The new PM will also be briefed on the latest security intelligence and current key national security threats.
On his first day at Downing Street, Mr Burnham will carry out a Cabinet reshuffle, appointing his first ministers to top government jobs. Typically a new PM will meet his new Cabinet ministers individually at No 10.
Mr Burnham has remained tight-lipped over who will make the cut, but he confirmed on Friday after being officially declared the new Labour leader that he would appoint his Cabinet on Monday after finalising his choices over the weekend.
Ed Miliband is widely tipped to be chancellor Rachel Reeves’s successor, while Shabana Mahmood is also believed to be in the running. Reports also suggest Yvette Cooper could be moving to the Treasury, but could also remain as foreign secretary.
A PM’s first day will typically also include decisions about how they want to work in No 10 and how they want to organise government more broadly. This may also include early decisions on the prime minister’s and their family’s living arrangements.
While the prime minister traditionally lives at No 10, Mr Burnham’s living arrangements could look slightly different as he has revealed plans for a ’No 10 North’ based in Manchester. Prior to him being confirmed as the new leader of the Labour party, the former Greater Manchester mayor said he plans to spend some of his time as PM in the northern location, describing it as a ’nerve centre’ for delivering priorities such as reindustrialisation and the redistribution of power across the UK.
The Manchester Evening News understands this flagship will be in operation from Mr Burnham’s first day in office on Monday, with an interim base to be used while a permanent home is developed. The location of the temporary base has not been disclosed for security reason, but multiple sources have cited Heron House in Manchester city centre as a possible location.
After appointing his first Cabinet ministers, Mr Burnham may continue to make any remaining appointments during the rest of the week, including the appointment of any junior ministers. He will also likely continue to make calls with other world leaders and first ministers of the devolved nations, if he did not speak to them on his first day.
Usually a new prime minister would face MPs soon after assuming office but Mr Burnham has been appointed days after Parliament entered recess for summer. That means he will not take on his first PMQs session until September when the Commons returns from its six-week break.
However, he could decide to put in a request with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to recall Parliament if it is in the public interest.
The BBC reports that Mr Burnham is planning a summer ’listening tour’ across the UK over the summer break, which could include visits to Port Talbot in south Wales and Aberdeen in Scotland.
World Affairs Correspondent
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