Andy Burnham is Prime Minister. Now what?
Andy Burnham has unveiled his first cabinet as prime minister, appointing John Healey as chancellor in a surprise move, shifting Ed Miliband to the Foreign Office and keeping Shabana Mahmood as home secretary. The announcement, followed by his first speech outside Downing Street, offers an early signal of the political direction and priorities of his government, with attention now turning to who holds real influence within it.
In his speech, delivered without the customary prime ministerial lectern, Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping, reviving a flagship commitment from his time as mayor of Greater Manchester. The Independent's In The Room podcast examines what these cabinet choices reveal about the government he intends to build, who has gained influence, who has been sidelined, and whether his pledges are realistic.
In short
- Burnham names cabinet: Healey as chancellor, Miliband to Foreign Office
- Mahmood stays as home secretary in reshuffle
- Burnham vows to end rough sleeping in first speech
Explained simply
The prime minister leads the UK government, which is made up of ministers responsible for areas such as the economy, foreign affairs and policing. The chancellor oversees public spending and taxes, while the foreign secretary represents the UK abroad and the home secretary handles issues including crime and immigration.
A cabinet is the senior group of ministers who help set government policy, and its appointments can indicate which people and priorities have influence. Rough sleeping means living on the streets, and efforts to reduce it can involve housing, local councils and support services as well as government funding.
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