Burnham to promise new path for UK when he becomes new Labour leader

Andy Burnham will promise a new path for Britain in a speech as he becomes the new Labour leader on Friday.

The Makerfield MP will be confirmed in the role at a special party conference in central London, ahead of taking over from Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on Monday.

In his speech, Burnham will say that when he is in Downing Street, the government will be “unashamedly Labour in our priorities” and have the “courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected”.

Burnham cemented his status as the sole leadership candidate after being backed by 379 Labour MPs and most trade unions linked to the party earlier this week.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, in her role as the chair of Labour’s ruling national executive committee, will announce Burnham as the new leader at the conference.

It will mark a rapid rise to power following the former Greater Manchester mayor’s by-election win in Makerfield last month.

Labour has trailed Reform UK in opinion polls for almost 18 months and supporters will be hoping Burnham’s arrival as prime minister will reverse their fortunes.