CELEBRITY
Controversial Comeback: Angela Rayner, Who Resigned Over Stamp Duty Tax Scandal, Appointed Housing Secretary by New Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Tackle Housing Crisis and Local Power Reforms
Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and new leader of the Labour Party, became Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday.
Burnham replaced the unpopular Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation to end a tenure of just two years in office.
Speaking outside 10 Downing St. minutes after being formally appointed by King Charles III, Burnham, 56, pledged to ease the cost of living for ordinary people, decentralize political power, revitalize industry and end street sleeping by homeless people.
Here is the latest:
Burnham gets to work forming his government
Andy Burnham is digging into his overflowing in-tray on his first day as Britain’s prime minister.
In the coming hours he will appoint his new Cabinet, after sweeping away several senior figures from Keir Starmer’s administration, including Treasury chief Rachel Reeves and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
And he says that on Tuesday he will announce the first of his plans to help people with the cost of living.
Burnham says fixing the care system is a must
Burnham says he “would not want to leave office” without improving Britain’s patchy access to social care for those who need it because of age, illness or disability.
It’s a pressing issue in a country with an aging population, and one that has foxed previous Labour and Conservative governments.
Burnham, who has firsthand experience of the issue because his father has Alzheimer’s, says there needs to be a “conversation with the public” about how to pay for long-term care. At present many people must spend all their savings and sell their property to pay for care.
Burnham told reporters that the status who is “not defensible. How many people have lost their homes and their savings in that time? We need to face it and fix it.”
Treasury chief and deputy prime minister announce they are not in Burnham’s government
Some of the government’s top ministers have announced they will not be serving in Burnham’s Cabinet.