MANCHESTER, England (CN) – Andy Burnham vowed on Monday to end rough sleeping, ease the cost of living crisis and launch Britain’s biggest political and economic overhaul in 40 years as he delivered his first speech as prime minister outside 10 Downing St.
Hours after King Charles III formally asked him to form a government following Keir Starmer’s resignation, Burnham said he would make tackling homelessness his first act in office and promised to shift power from central London government to local communities.
“I will soon walk through that door behind me and issue my first directive to end rough sleeping in our country,” Burnham said.
Burnham, who became Labor leader on Friday after running unopposed, he acknowledged the public’s frustration with years of political instability.
He is the seventh Prime Minister of Britain since 2016.
“I know people back home are fed up with politics,” he said. “We haven’t been good enough and we have to be better.”
Burnham promised a “circuit breaker for Britain” through what he described as a new political and economic model.
He blamed decades of centralized government and deindustrialization for widening regional inequality and said his administration would devolve more power across the country by expanding public control over essential services.
He said he will publish a 10-year national plan later this year, but will begin announcing cost-of-living measures on Tuesday, including how they will be funded.
He also pledged to build more publicly owned housing, reform education, expand mental health support for young people and preserve Britain’s fiscal rules while respecting defense commitments.
The speech provided the clearest picture yet of Burnham’s governing agenda. He won the Labor leadership last week following Starmer’s decision to quit after losing support within his own party.
**Setting priorities**
Homelessness seemed to be Burnham’s first policy priority.
Before arriving at Buckingham Palace, he visited a homeless shelter in central London. As mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping by 2020.
It missed that target, although official estimates showed the number of people sleeping rough in the region fell from 268 in 2017 to 90 in 2021 before rising again to 197 in 2025.
The challenge is even greater at the national level.
Government figures estimated that 4,793 people were sleeping rough on a single night in England in autumn 2025, the highest figure on record.
Burnham also pledged to build more publicly owned housing, arguing it would reduce the welfare bill and make homes more affordable.
As mayor of Greater Manchester, he promised to deliver 30,000 affordable homes by 2037, including at least 10,000 for social rent, under the city’s long-term housing strategy.
Government figures show that 18,433 affordable and social homes were completed across Greater Manchester between 2017 and 2025, including 2,368 social rented homes, according to Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Burnham admitted that he had not met these targets, claiming that his powers as mayor limited his authority and the funds needed to build enough social housing.
England faces a severe housing shortage, with more than 1.3 million families on social housing waiting lists, according to Shelter.
Trump is his first call
Starmer officially ended his tenure as prime minister on Monday, saying he left office “proud of everything we have achieved” after leading Labor back to power in the 2024 general election.
“As I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success,” said Starmer. “He has my full support.”
He concluded by saying: “I go with grace, I go with a smile and I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved.”
Burnham said his first international phone calls as prime minister would be with President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding that Britain’s support for Ukraine would remain “unwavering and firm”.
Some European leaders quickly welcomed his appointment.
Zelenskyy congratulated Burnham, wishing him “every success in addressing today’s challenges.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she looked forward to strengthening the countries’ strategic partnership, while Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten described Britain as an important partner in trade, energy, defense and Ukraine.
Attention immediately turns to Burnham’s first Cabinet appointments, expected later Monday.
His choice of chancellor, Britain’s finance minister responsible for tax and spending policy, is likely to give the strongest early signal of how he intends to deliver the economic changes outlined in his speech.
Courthouse News reporter James Francis Whitehead is in England.
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