The new Prime Minister’s first speech: You’ll hear, a lot, that the new Prime Minister loves his poetry: he wrote to the Guardian to defend Philip Larkin in 1991, and says that Shakespeare taught him to build political speeches through cadence and emotional force.
He knew the tonality of his first words as PM were as important as the words themselves. There was none of Starmer’s gloomy talk of facing down the challenges of an insecure world, per his predecessor. Nor was Burham’s speech very long (read the full text / 🎥see it).
Instead, there was an acknowledgement of the incongruity of yet another PM walking up Downing Street, a promise of change and of a different sort of politics to achieve it, nods towards public ownership and reindustrialisation, and the promise of a ten-year plan, which hadn’t appeared on many bingo cards.
There was also an immediate promise to “end rough sleeping in our country” (meaning England) - which immediately had journalists in his old stomping ground, Manchester, reaching for their notes. Playing “Burnham bingo”, Rob Williams reckoned he’d heard it all before.
It was delivered without notes, and without a lecturn, and projected as if at a hustings in a high street: this was as much about selling his leadership to a country that hasn’t seen much of him as it was about formally accepting the job.

John Healey as Chancellor. This was a surprise: the former defence secretary quit Keir Starmer’s cabinet over a lack of funding, helping hasten his demise. Yet despite his experience as a Treasury minister under Tony Blair, nobody expected to see him in Number 11.
As David Maddox explains, it might be that the wide support among fellow MPs that the non-factional Healey enjoys - in contrast to the more right-leaning Shabana Mahmood - got him the nod.
What will he do? In the statement announcing his appointment, defence did not get a mention among his shared priorities with the PM. In terms of driving economic growth, it is unlikely to figure highly.
Yet every observer thinks his appointment as chancellor signals we’re about to spend a lot more on defence, given his history. Sky’s Ed Conway sets out the welfare vs warfare state challenge neatly in this clip.

Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary. Although Mahmood had been hotly tipped to become Chancellor, and had lobbied for it, there was also the suggestion she would not be unhappy to stay put. So she has. Her line on immigration is far tougher than many of her Labour colleagues would like - but will matter in the battle with Reform that is to come. That she stays in the job means those reforms are more likely to stick.

Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary. The other Chancellor candidate who swung - lustily - at that job and missed. The former Labour leader described his new job as the “honour of my life”, but his appointment has raised eyebrows among those who point to his record - in 2013, he was a leading voice against action in Syria after Bashar al-Assad killed 1,400 civilians - and wonder about his ability to work with the Trump administration. It’s assumed Miliband’s appointment will signal a tougher stance on Israel, and a continued arms-length approach to US demands for support in the war against Iran.

A cabinet clear-out. This was also a ruthless cull. Keir Starmer’s closest allies lost their jobs - Chancellor Rachel Reeves, of course, but also Peter Kyle (business), Liz Kendall (science), Darren Jones (admin) and Steve Reed (housing) were binned. David Lammy (justice), Lord Hermer (Attorney General), Jo Stevens (Wales), Hilary Benn (Northern Ireland) and Baroness Champman (International development) also left their roles. This was a decisive break from Starmer’s policies, and team, across the board.

Some new (old) faces. Among a big ministerial intake are several of Burnham’s allies: people who have worked with him either in Manchester or helped get him elected in Makerfield. Louise Haigh, who gained brief notoriety when she was sacked over an historical fraud conviction, is his fixer as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Annaelise Midgeley, another close ally, becomes Chief Whip. And Lucy Powell, the Manchester Central MP, becomes Education Secretary. Heidi Alexander, who worked with Burnham in his leadership races, remains Transport Secretary. The former King of the North has rewarded those who supported his march on the south.
- The BBC has a full list of who’s in the cabinet.