What has Andy Burnham done as Prime Minister so far?
Prime Minister set to address Labour Party conference as leader for the first time
Andy Burnham is set to give his first speech at the Labour Party Conference as Prime Minister, and is facing a big call around the Triple Lock.
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His speech, from 2pm on Tuesday, September 29, is expected to reference the Triple Lock, which he is rumoured to be getting rid of, despite his deputy Lucy Powell saying he will not.
He will also announce plans to create GB Grid, a new body under the Great British Energy umbrella that will be the first publicly owned player in electricity networks since privatisation under Margaret Thatcher.
In an appearance on LBC yesterday, the PM told callers that he is focused on growing the economy and was about to chair a COBRA meeting about the arrests at RAF Fairford.
Here is all you need to know about the Prime Minister.
Read also: Who is Marie-France van Heel? Andy Burnham's Dutch-born wife and his partner since university
Who is Prime Minister Andy Burnham?
The 56-year-old is a long-time figure within the Labour Party, having been MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester from 2001 to 2017.
From May 2017, he was Mayor of Greater Manchester - winning that election, and two subsequent votes in 2021 and 2024.
His achievements in the role include bringing the bus network under local government control, moving forward with a £300m housing fund, and launching the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate education path.
Mr Burnham is considered to be “soft left” within the party, meaning he would perhaps be aligned to the ideologies of Tony Blair or Gordon Brown - and more socialist than Sir Keir.
Indeed, the pair have not always seen eye-to-eye, and now Mr Burnham has gone a step further by launching Mainstream, a network of members who are pushing for more socialist policies.
A backer said: "He [Mr Burnham] really does represent what the Labour Party is about. He's not only demonstrated that across Manchester but the leadership he does give on many issues, I think that's the kind of leadership we need at this time.”
How did Andy Burnham become Prime Minister?
Mr Burnham won the Makerfield seat by more than 9,000 votes from Reform and has relinquished his role as Greater Manchester Mayor to return to the Commons.
The 56-year-old is now back in Parliament for the first time since 2017, which was a move required to stand for Labour leadership - which he won without a contest after votes from MPs were counted.
In his Makerfield by-election victory speech, Mr Burnham said: "There will be no second chance.
"But it is a chance now, from this result tonight, to build a new politics based on unity and hope, turning away from the path that takes us to a divided, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States."
Sir Keir Starmer then resigned as Labour leader and Mr Burnham was the only candidate to replace him, and he moved into No 10 with his family over the summer.
Who is Andy Burnham’s wife, Marie-France van Heel?
Mr Burnham has been married to Marie-France van Heel, who is Dutch, since 2000.
The pair have a son and two daughters.
The pair met while studying at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University, and Van Heel appeared on the TV series Blind Date around this time.
Frankie, as she is known, has worked as a brand consultant for BSkyB and her own firm MVH Marketing.
She had a double mastectomy in 2010 after discovering she had a breast cancer gene, with three of her family members having died from the illness.
What has Andy Burnham done as prime minister?
Mr Burnham has stressed that changes will be made to "how Britain is governed" and has already made some progress towards his goals. In two months as PM, he has:
- Decreased the cost of bus fares in Britain from £3 per day to £2,
- Announced a £850m tax cut on electricity bills,
- Opened No 10 North,
- Cut business rates at pubs, clubs and live music venues,
- Extended railcards for some passengers,
- Announced more than 100 mental health centres to open in libraries and banks,
- Pledged to get all rough sleepers off the streets this winter