Burnham plans blitz of policy announcements from North Sea drilling to social care
Allies said Mr Burnham will set out policies aimed at making people’s lives easier, with a promise of delivering tangible change as soon as possible.
Andy Burnham is expected to reveal a blitz of policy announcements when he becomes prime minister on Monday, including reported plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
Listen to this article
In their 2024 manifesto, the Labour Party pledged not to issue any new licences for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, but said they would honour existing licences.
Mr Burnham's announcement is expected to be part of a package of measures, including plans to bring water and energy companies under public control and to launch a new council house-building programme.
He will spend this weekend preparing to become prime minister, with allies saying he intends to make a “dynamic start” with his measures to ease the cost-of-living squeeze.
Read more: Burnham to forge new path as Labour leader - with departing Starmer insisting: 'I go with pride'
Read more: Rayner 'to be appointed Burnham's Health Secretary' in comeback after tax row
Mr Burnham will become prime minister on Monday, after Sir Keir Starmer visits Buckingham Palace to offer his resignation to the King, but will begin moving into Downing Street this weekend.
He will then see the King to “kiss hands” and be invited to take over as prime minister before getting the chance to set out his vision to the country from Downing Street.
He is expected to use the speech to set out plans to give people “breathing space” on the cost of living and highlight his core theme of devolving power from Whitehall to regions across the UK.
That devolution process will be driven from Mr Burnham’s “No 10 North” in Manchester, which he is expected to visit during his first week in power.
Allies said Mr Burnham will set out policies aimed at making people’s lives easier with a promise of delivering tangible change as soon as possible.
He has already begun to receive national security briefings ahead of his formal appointment and has talked to officials about his priorities in office and the first events he will go to as prime minister.
While details of Mr Burnham's expected new oil and gas plans are not clear, the North Sea row has been longstanding, and Sir Keir has faced criticism for his opposition to drilling.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on the UK to open up drilling in the North Sea, and has been very critical of Sir Keir's stance on it.
Britain gets a new Prime Minister on Monday. Stay with the LBC app for full live coverage as Andy Burnham takes the keys to Downing Street.
Mr Burnham has also vowed to “grasp the nettle” of adult social care reform.
He pledged to “expend political capital” during his premiership on what he said has been a long-neglected sector – accusing Westminster of having “flinched” from such big decisions for too long.
Name-checking the issue in his first speech after formally replacing Sir Keir, he told a special conference in London on Friday: “Let’s take a problem-solving rather than a point-scoring approach.
“Let’s have the courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected, like social care, and have the conviction to go out there together and argue for our plans.”