At last we have a government that gets things done instead of an administration that ticks boxes. That may be only a hope at this early stage, but at least it a realistic one now that new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has his Cabinet in place.
Somehow one cannot imagine Keir Starmer announcing abolition of VAT on electricity bills within hours of taking office. It may only be a small step towards easing the cost-of-living crisis, saving the average householder £45 a year according to the Treasury, but let’s hope it is a harbinger.
As Burnham said when making the announcement: “Westminster has not been working for people for too long, with families struggling with the cost of living. That needs to change. I said I wanted to give people breathing space, and that’s what I’m announcing on my second day as Prime Minister. We’re taking immediate action to cut taxes on energy bills, put more money in people’s pockets and bring back hope.”
Hope is what people need right now, hope that when the government dangles the prospect of better things to come they will actually arrive, and quickly. Starmer’s government was well-intentioned, but that was not enough. It was also over-cautious, timid, slow and ineffective. Burnham’s needs to be radical not just in thought but in action, pushing decisions through Whitehall with determination and at pace.
That is what Burnham and his team look much more likely than Starmer’s to be able to deliver. That judgement has to be largely subjective and is made even more difficult for those of us based in the North East, far from the capital and the personal contacts made in Westminster. But at least we have Burnham’s record as Mayor of Manchester to go on. And his Cabinet team have good reputations as effective operators, most notably John Healey, the new Chancellor.
As to the other Cabinet members, we must wait and see, but we can do so with cautious optimism. At least we can safely assume that Burnham will not let them get away with inertia.
Of particular interest in the North East is the return of Angela Rayner to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) with its responsibility for devolution. It is an advantage that she is bringing a lot of prior knowledge with her. Let’s just hope she does not fall into the trap of thinking the north begins and ends in Manchester. Doubtless North East Mayor Kim McGuinness will put her right if she does.
One surprise and disappointment is the change at the Ministry of Defence, where Dan Jarvis, a veteran of the Paras, was replaced by Wes Streeting, who has no military experience. Streeting is credited with getting NHS waiting times down, but the transition from the ethos of the NHS to that of the armed forces may not be an easy one.
Foreign affairs
If Starmer had a strong point, and there were corresponding doubts about Burnham, it is in foreign affairs, especially at a time when the world is in such turmoil, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and an erratic President Trump lashing out with tariffs, threats and insults at friend and foe alike in a completely unpredictable manner.
Once again, Burnham has got off to a reassuring start with calls to no fewer than seven world leaders on his first day in office. There was nothing remarkable about what was said on these calls, which is in itself reassuring, suggesting as it does no change from the Starmer foreign policy. But it is still worth, for once, reporting what was discussed, with the aid of No. 10 briefings.
Donald Trump
The first call was to Donald Trump. Pleasantries aside, the Prime Minister said he would be focused on ensuring reindustrialisation up and down the country to ensure good growth in every postcode.
The Prime Minister also underlined his commitment to defence and security and said ensuring the security of the UK and its Allies was at the top of his agenda.
The President then updated on the situation in the Middle East, and the Prime Minister outlined the UK’s commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to support global supply chains and drive down costs for businesses and families across the country.
Ursula von der Leyen
Next on Burnham’s calls list was the President of the European Commission. Building a closer and ambitious relationship was key to delivery in both the UK and Europe, the Prime Minister [said].
The leaders agreed their teams should work closely towards a UK-EU summit later in the year.
Turning to Ukraine, the Prime Minister underlined that the UK’s steadfast commitment to Ukraine would be ironclad under his government, and thanked President von der Leyen for her leadership on the conflict.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The Prime Minister began by reaffirming his and the UK’s resolute commitment to the people of Ukraine and underscored that there would be absolutely no change in the UK’s approach, including when it came to bearing down on Russia.
Emmanuel Macron
The Prime Minister began [his call with the President of France] by setting out how he is looking forward to building on the strong UK-France relationship to deliver for people on both sides of the Channel.
Turning to Ukraine, the two leaders discussed the need to work together to continue supporting Ukraine as it resists Russia’s full-scale invasion, including through co-chairing the Coalition of the Willing.
On the Middle East, the two leaders agreed the need to continue efforts towards deescalation and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
They also discussed continuing the UK and France’s close cooperation on energy and defence, and the Prime Minister paid tribute to President Macron for his efforts to bring the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK, which underlined the UK and France’s enduring friendship.
Mark Rutte
Updating [for the Secretary General of NATO] on the appointment of the former Defence Secretary, John Healey, as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Prime Minister said the appointment was a signal of his intent.
The leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine, and the Secretary General welcomed the Prime Minister’s strong statement of support for Ukraine earlier [in the day].
Antonio Costa
The Prime Minister began by underlining [to the President of the European Council] the importance of creating a stronger Europe through a closer UK-EU relationship. That included working together on shared challenges such as defence and security and driving growth across the UK and Europe.
They both agreed their respective teams would work closely towards a UK-EU summit later in the year.
Friedrich Merz
It was clear the relationship between the UK and Germany was vital to delivering for people in both countries, the Prime Minister [told the German Chancellor]. Both leaders underlined their ambition to increase cooperation under the Kensington Treaty [a 2025 bilateral agreement between the UK and Germany establishing a wide‑ranging partnership in defence, security, foreign policy, economic cooperation, and travel], and the Prime Minister said he would ask his teams to accelerate work on implementation.
Discussing Ukraine, the Prime Minister looked forward to working with Chancellor Merz and President Macron as they drove the Coalition of the Willing forward to support a just and lasting peace.
Key takeaways
- Seven phone calls with heads of state or government or international bodies on such a busy day of Cabinet-making show that Burnham recognises the importance of foreign relations;
- Making the first call to President Trump and committing to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, but without any specific commitment to military action, indicates a desire to keep on the right side of the unpredictable president without tying the UK down to military action;
- continuing solid support for Ukraine and NATO;
- continuing desire to work closely with Europe, especially France and Germany and especially in defence, without any mention of rejoining the EU or its institutions.
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