Kemi Badenoch has issued a stern warning to Andy Burnham ahead of his coronation as Labour leader, telling MPs: “Changing Prime Minister is not a silver bullet: Labour’s problems may be only just beginning.”
The Makerfield MP is set to be crowned as Labour leader on Friday and will likely enter Downing Street on Monday, having run unchallenged to be Sir Keir’s replacement.
However, during Sir Keir’s final PMQs, the Conservative leader said Labour’s woes could be “only just beginning” once the Greater Manchester Mayor takes power.
She said switching leaders, as the last Tory administration did with Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, was “not a silver bullet” for the governing party.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Mrs Badenoch said: “I say this to Labour MPs with as much goodwill as I can muster. We have been where you are; changing Prime Minister is not a silver bullet. In fact it may be that the Labour Party’s troubles are only just beginning.
“Solving the fundamental problems will require difficult decisions, and you also need to know how to get things done. The Prime Minister once said that when he pulled the levers, nothing happened. Why did he think that was?”
Mrs Badenoch asked Sir Keir if he had any advice for the incoming Prime Minister, to which he replied: “I will give my wholehearted support to my successor.
“I want this Labour Government to be a success, I want our country to be a success.
Kemi Badenoch speaking in PMQs today
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PA
“I shall give my support privately if asked for, not publicly when not asked for.”
Mr Burnham is on track to become Prime Minister on July 20 after receiving enough votes for it to become mathematically impossible for any possible contest.
He has received backing from 379 MPs in the Parliamentary Labour Party leadership contest.
One vote was submitted for Catherine West MP, who kickstarted Sir Keir’s ousting by saying she would challenge the Prime Minister if a Cabinet Minister refused to in early May.
Keir Starmer speaking at his last PMQs as Prime Minister
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PARLIAMENT TV
A week later she backed down from standing against Sir Keir.
However, she still received a vote from Neil Coyle MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark.
Mr Burnham has begun to outline his plans for his time in No10, initially saying he would stick with Sir Keir’s 2024 manifesto, ruling out calling a general election to secure his own mandate.
He has already announced plans for a No10 in the North, relocating parts of his team to Manchester, as part of what he said was a “radical rewiring” of the British state.
He is expected to split his time between London and his new northern hub.
On fiscal policy, Mr Burnham declined to rule out a wealth tax and suggested the Government “might be having to ask for a little more” to increase the UK’s revenues.
Speaking on Gary Lineker’s podcast, Mr Burnham said he needed time to look at the state of the coffers before announcing any policy changes but did say Britain needed a “greater sense of fairness”.
On foreign affairs, particularly with the UK’s “special” relationship with the US, Mr Burnham said he would meet President Donald Trump “where he’s at”.
The Makerfield MP said: “Maybe in a similar way to the way I’ve just described, I’ll just meet him where he’s at.
“And, you know, I like to think I’ve got some personality myself and I’ll just, you know, I’ll deal with him very upfront in the same way. I think he likes people to deal with him.
“He described Manchester as some town when he was referring to my position. And I might have to, you know what Mancs are like, Gary, that won’t have gone down fantastically well in the city I used to represent.
“But yeah, you know, it’s about being yourself, isn’t it? It’s about respecting the office, the relationship, the UK-US relationship.
“But, you know, where you disagree, do it, but do it in a way that is kind of meeting him where he’s at.”