Why I am nominating Andy Burnham to become Labour Leader and Prime Minister

Two years ago, the British people elected a Labour Government on a mandate for change.

That victory did not happen by accident. It happened because Keir Starmer (with many others) rebuilt our party from the ground up after our worst election defeat since 1935. He restored discipline, credibility and trust, and showed the country that Labour could once again govern in the national interest.

His decision to resign as Prime Minister was a difficult but principled act of public service, and I will always be grateful for everything he did for our party and our country and for the support he gave me personally before and after the 2024 General Election. Keir’s leadership has laid the foundations. In just two short years, we have pulled the NHS back from the brink, strengthened workers' rights, and reset our international relationships. Labour has achieved a great deal in government. Now we must come together to accelerate the pace of change.

That is why I’ve nominated Andy Burnham to become Leader of the Labour Party and our next Prime Minister.

At a time when Britain faces significant political, economic and global challenges, we need a leader with the experience, judgment and determination to meet the scale of the task ahead.

Andy brings that experience.

Having served as Health Secretary, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, alongside almost a decade as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy has seen government from very different perspectives. He understands the pressures facing Whitehall, what devolution can achieve, the importance of sound public finances, the realities of delivering public services and the need to work alongside communities to achieve lasting change.

But experience alone is not enough. Leadership also requires ambition and a willingness to act.

Andy has set out a clear vision for the next phase of this Labour Government: raising living standards, improving our NHS and our schools, supporting businesses – be they on the high street or in technology parks – that create jobs and livelihoods, restoring confidence in our immigration system, and ensuring Britain plays its full role on the world stage.

He understands that economic growth can’t just be a statistic published on a quarterly basis. We must deliver tangible benefits to workers, enhance financial security for their families, and enable them to fulfil their ambitions in life. We need growth to resource our doctors, our schools, and our police; strengthen our national defence; and, where possible (and responsible) provide relief to taxpayers.

Having spent nearly a decade working in the City of London, mostly latterly at the London Stock Exchange Group, I particularly welcome Andy’s commitment to the fiscal discipline that Rachel Reeves has been rightly steadfast in promoting. Without stable public finances, there can be no confidence for business, no sustainable growth and no strong foundation for the public services our country depends upon.

In this next phase of Government, Labour must pursue growth relentlessly and I look forward to contributing my own experience of financial markets to his team’s economic policymaking in the period ahead. Andy has achieved remarkable results in Greater Manchester, now the UK's fastest-growing sub-regional economy. We should build on the lessons learned there and replicate what has worked, wherever it can be applied across the country.

Alongside a relentless emphasis on growth, Andy is also right that we need to fundamentally rethink the relationship between our Westminster government and the communities we all serve as Members of Parliament.

Too many people feel that the decisions affecting their lives are made by people who are distant from the places they call home. Compared to many, the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency is just down the road from Westminster, but for many local people the seat of power still feels a world away. This is something I hear week in, week out when I’m knocking on doors.

That's why devolution cannot simply be about shifting powers between Whitehall departments, arm's-length bodies and executive agencies. As Andy said in a speech last week, it must be about creating a new sense of agency, possibility and hope by putting decisions into the hands of the people and places best placed to make them.

This is a principle that resonates strongly across the UK – including in the south. From Altrincham to Winslow, and Belfast to Bletchley we all want the same things: a good job, strong public services, a safe neighbourhood and the opportunity to write their own life story and build a better future.

‍The towns, villages and city that I represent in Parliament want greater control over their own future. They want government to trust local leaders, local communities and local businesses to deliver. In Milton Keynes, we are especially ambitious about the potential of further devolution, working closely with Central Bedfordshire, Bedford and Luton to unlock new opportunities across our region as part of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor. We are waiting for our promise to be unleashed too.

I have also welcomed the first appointments Andy has made to his team, including James Purnell as his Chief of Staff. With his own Cabinet experience and a track record of leading large, complex organisations across both the public and private sectors, James is well placed to help drive the change and delivery that this moment requires.

The British people voted for change in 2024. That responsibility remains just as important today.

This Labour Government has up to three years before we need to ask voters to entrust us with their cross at the ballot box. We need to prove that politics and Government can improve people’s lives. We’ve no time to waste. As the Member of Parliament for our Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, I will do everything I can to make sure we don’t.