Chris Mason: What his first week in power tells us about Andy Burnham

"We are on borrowed time if we don't get a move on," stated Angela Rayner, the newly appointed housing secretary, highlighting the urgency facing the fledgling Burnham administration. The past week has been a whirlwind at Westminster, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's departure now seeming like a distant memory.

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We are on borrowed time if we don't get a move on.

The Burnham government has been focused on establishing its footing and making a strong initial impression. An early pattern has emerged: policy announcements often drop from Number 10 in the morning. Recent days have seen news on business rates, bus fares, and a VAT cut on electricity bills. The Prime Minister is also convening a National Economic Council meeting in Manchester, which he describes as the start of "the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen."

Burnham's "10-year plan for Britain" is expected later in the year. This follows previous discussions about long-term plans from Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer, which ultimately did not materialize. Assessing the extent of political change is premature, but early indications suggest Burnham is more decisive and proactive than his predecessor in outlining his agenda and providing initial examples.

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a pride of mayors

With structural changes like the creation of the Office of the Prime Minister and the establishment of No 10 North in Manchester, Burnham has signaled that power now flows through him. He appears keen to avoid the frustration of "pulling levers and nothing actually happens," a critique often leveled against previous leaders.

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the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen

Opposition parties are recalibrating their strategies to confront the new Prime Minister. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, in a rooftop press conference, implicitly acknowledged the shift in political dynamics. While teasing Burnham's informal style, she critiqued his announcements as superficial and thin, stating, "He is behaving like he's still the mayor of Manchester. He is now the prime minister of the United Kingdom."

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bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years