The new leader of the Labour Party, Andy Burnham, is set to be appointed British prime minister on Monday, receiving the formal commission from the King at Buckingham Palace, the Guardian reports.
Appointments to the cabinet are expected as early as Monday afternoon. According to the Guardian, there is a widespread expectation that Shabana Mahmood will take on the role of chancellor, with Ed Miliband taking charge of foreign affairs, while Jonathan Reynolds is slated for the role of economy, science and technology minister. The former deputy leader, Angela Rayner, is mentioned in connection with the health portfolio, although she is yet to be convinced by the party’s leadership, according to sources.
In his first address from Downing Street, Burnham is expected to state that Britain must be honest about the challenges it faces, and that the country needs political stability, which is interpreted as a rejection of calls for an early election. Labour has approximately three years remaining in its current term.
To alleviate the cost of living, plans include reducing energy bills, and potentially bus fares. The government is also preparing to open the door to further oil and gas drilling in existing areas of the North Sea, despite opposition from environmental activists and parts of the political establishment. In line with the election manifesto, major new fields would not be approved.
The US president, Donald Trump, has congratulated him on the social media platform Truth Social, stating that Burnham would 'open up' the North Sea oil fields by the end of the term, but the deputy leader of the Labour Party, Lucy Powell, has stated that this is a shift in emphasis, not a change in policy.
Burnham has previously stated that he is sticking to the election pledges not to raise VAT, national insurance, or income tax. According to the Sunday Times, it is expected that the local authority will be pushed into a special form of administration, which Burnham’s team has not commented on.
The leader of the Conservatives, Kemi Badenoch, has criticised the lack of detail in the plans presented before taking office, describing the previous statements as vague, while the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, has criticised the proposed increase in spending on foreign aid.
