PM meets Scottish first minister, rules out independence referendum
Prime Minister Andy Burnham met with the Scottish First Minister and ruled out a second independence referendum but expressed openness to further devolution.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Andy Burnham has become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, taking over from Sir Keir Starmer after a rapid political transition. Burnham, who only returned to Parliament as an MP a month ago, was formally appointed by King Charles on Monday after Starmer tendered his resignation. In his first speech outside Downing Street, Burnham acknowledged the high turnover of prime ministers in recent years and promised a new era of stability and bold change.
Burnham said Britain had taken wrong turns since the 1980s, with power centralised and economic power privatised. He pledged to bring forward the biggest changes in 40 years, including a new political and economic model. He announced immediate help with the cost of living, to be set out in detail the following day, and a ten-year plan for national renewal to be published later this year. His first specific policy promise was to end rough sleeping in the country.
Earlier, on Friday, Burnham had been confirmed as Labour leader at a special conference in London, where he told party members he would govern in an unashamedly Labour way, rejecting the approach of trying to out-green the Greens or out-reform Reform. He paid tribute to Starmer but made clear his government would be distinctively different.
On Monday, after becoming Prime Minister, Burnham began appointing his cabinet. The most surprising appointment was John Healey as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Healey had resigned as Defence Secretary just weeks earlier over a row with the Treasury about defence funding. Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader and Energy Secretary, was appointed Foreign Secretary. Shabana Mahmood remained as Home Secretary. Yvette Cooper moved from Foreign Secretary to Health Secretary. Louise Haigh, a close Burnham ally, became First Secretary of State. Other key appointments included Wes Streeting as Defence Secretary, Angela Rayner as Housing Secretary, and Lucy Powell as Education Secretary. Several Starmer loyalists, including Rachel Reeves and David Lammy, were sacked from the cabinet.
Burnham also held his first calls with world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, who said they had a very good conversation covering North Sea oil, trade, and the military alliance. The new Prime Minister then travelled to Glasgow to meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney. Burnham ruled out a second independence referendum but expressed openness to further devolution of powers to Scotland and other parts of the UK. Swinney said he would engage constructively on enhanced devolution, though he noted he did not support the mayoral model favoured by Burnham.
The transition marks the seventh Prime Minister in a decade, and Burnham has made stability and a break from the recent pattern of short-lived governments a central theme of his early message.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC NEWS | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Burnham will become Labour leader at a special NEC meeting and then Prime Minister after Keir Starmer resigns. | ||||||||
| Burnham will give a speech outlining a vision for a 'renewed Labour government' focused on devolution, reindustrialization, and returning power to communities. | ||||||||
| Burnham argues the country has been on the wrong path since the 1980s. | · | |||||||
| John Healey, Ed Miliband, and Shabana Mahmood were among the first to enter Number 10 for cabinet appointments. | · | |||||||
| Shabana Mahmoud is now seen as the front runner for Chancellor, with Ed Miliband falling out of favour. | · | |||||||
| Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping in his first speech as Prime Minister. | · | · | · | |||||
| Burnham said his election represents the most important change in British politics for 40 years. | · | · | · | |||||
| Burnham will announce plans for more North Sea oil and gas drilling in his first speech as PM. | · | · | · | |||||
| Burnham promised to tackle social care and change how the country is governed. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Burnham will pay tribute to Keir Starmer, but there is tension between them. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Sir Keir Starmer will give a brief address outside Number 10 before resigning. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Burnham promised to change politics and bring forward a ten-year plan. | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News focused heavily on the internal Labour politics and the perceived leftward shift under Burnham. The channel gave significant airtime to Conservative and Reform UK voices criticising Burnham's lack of a mandate and his policy vagueness. The tone was sceptical, with presenters and guests questioning whether Burnham would be more of the same or lurch further left.
- “I think he's going to be more of the same, following on from Keir Starmer. I think he's going to be indecisive.”
- “I really question all this vacuous talk about devolution for its own sake, about power. He dares to talk about power being given away.”
- “I suspect he's going to have a very short honeymoon.”
BBC ONE West provided straightforward, factual coverage of the day's events, focusing on the formalities of the handover and the key policy announcements. The reporting was neutral and descriptive, with a strong emphasis on the local angle for the West region, including reaction from West Country MPs and the promise of devolution.
- “I will be a leader for the North, the South, the East and the West. We will take power back from Westminster and Whitehall and give it to the place where you live.”
- “This change today is the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years.”
BBC TWO's Newsnight offered in-depth analysis of Burnham's speech and cabinet appointments, with a panel of commentators dissecting the political significance. The programme focused on the boldness of Burnham's rhetoric versus the continuity of personnel, and the potential challenges ahead, including the reaction from the left of the party and the international implications of Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary.
- “He is the first incoming Prime Minister to root a lot of the problems, the sense of people being left behind, that you pull levers and nothing happens, to the 80s.”
- “Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary, that is really interesting. Labour Party has been leeching votes to the left. You now have arguably the most left-wing Foreign Secretary since Robin Cook.”
BBC News provided comprehensive, rolling coverage of the transition, with multiple correspondents reporting from Westminster and Downing Street. The tone was factual and balanced, covering the key moments: Starmer's farewell, Burnham's appointment, the cabinet reshuffle, and the first international calls. The reporting emphasised the speed of the change and the lack of a general election mandate.
- “I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last ten years to walk up this street, the seventh Prime Minister since 2016.”
- “We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years.”
Sky News focused on the atmosphere and the 'vibes' of the transition, with reporters emphasising the lack of policy detail and the coronation-like nature of Burnham's rise. The channel gave extensive live coverage from Downing Street and the Labour event, with analysis of the cabinet speculation and the challenge of governing without a personal mandate.
- “Effectively what has been going on, Sophie, is that he has run a campaign based, how can I put it, largely on vibes, not on specifics.”
- “He is promising the biggest change in 40 years in the way He's going to run the government whilst in the same breath saying I'm not going to deviate from the manifesto.”
5 News provided a concise, accessible summary of the day's events, with a focus on the human side of the story, such as Burnham's family and the emotional moments. The reporting was straightforward and aimed at a general audience, highlighting the key promises and the fact that Burnham became PM without winning a general election.
- “Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again. The moment we bring back hope.”
- “He says he's a man with a plan, but it's important to remember, isn't it? It's his party that have put him in power, not the public.”
ITV1's coverage was detailed and analytical, with political editor Robert Peston providing sharp commentary on the implications of the cabinet appointments and the political dynamics. The channel highlighted the surprise of John Healey as Chancellor and the potential for a 'coup' narrative, while also covering the human moments and the policy promises on cost of living and social care.
- “Fair play to team Burnham, that was a surprise. They kept it under wraps. But given everything, defence bonds, potentially to fund defence, it feels like something that might have been the product of the conversations for a while.”
- “He is certainly very ambitious. We have already got one initial policy that he wants to end rough sleeping.”
Channel 4 News offered a critical and analytical perspective, focusing on the lack of policy detail and the potential contradictions in Burnham's promises. The programme featured interviews with Labour MPs and commentators, and highlighted the factional tensions within the party, particularly around the appointment of Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary and the sacking of Starmer loyalists.
- “He is the great chameleon of British politics, capable of being all things to all people.”
- “Andy Burnham's promise of an end to factionalism may ring a little hollow for the Starmer loyalists clapping the man they served out of Downing Street.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.