Prime Minister Andy Burnham has marked his first month in Downing Street by highlighting a series of measures introduced by his Labour Government, saying the changes are designed to give families “more breathing space” and restore hope across the country.
In a post reflecting on his first month as Prime Minister, Burnham pointed to action on household bills, public transport, housing, mental health, homelessness, high streets and devolution.
“Today marked one month since I became Prime Minister,” Burnham said, before setting out a lengthy list of measures taken since entering Downing Street.
Among the headline policies are a cut in tax on electricity bills and a £2 cap on bus fares in England, both central to Burnham’s early focus on reducing everyday costs.
The Government has also announced changes making unwanted subscriptions easier to cancel and a crackdown on misleading discounts, as ministers seek to address smaller but persistent pressures on household finances.
Young people have also featured prominently in the Government’s first month. Burnham highlighted plans to give 14-year-olds earlier access to technical education and extend the 16–17 Saver Railcard.
On health, the Prime Minister pointed to the opening of 159 new mental health centres, while additional investment has been announced with the aim of getting rough sleepers off the streets this winter.
Businesses and high streets have also been targeted for support. Burnham highlighted cuts to business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues, alongside new powers intended to give councils and communities greater control over the mix of businesses opening on their high streets.
The Government has meanwhile announced support for farmers affected by drought and measures to tackle illegal waste dumping.
Housing is another major part of the administration’s early programme, with ministers moving to fast-track suitable new housing developments around well-connected railway stations as part of efforts to increase supply.
Burnham also pointed to changes for disabled passengers, including removing time restrictions on disabled bus passes to enable free travel around the clock.
On immigration, the Prime Minister said his Government had closed a further 13 asylum hotels.
Devolution has emerged as another defining theme of Burnham’s opening weeks. His Government has announced plans to give mayors a share of income tax revenues, bring buses in the West Midlands under public control and open “No10 North”.
Burnham described the programme as the “biggest transfer of power, funding and responsibility from Westminster in a generation”.
Despite highlighting the breadth of measures announced during his first month, Burnham said he recognised that the Government had considerably more to do.
“It’s a start, but I’m not complacent,” he said.
“I know that people need more and I promise that I will do everything I can to make yours and your family’s lives better. We’re doing things differently to give people more breathing space and bring back hope.”
He concluded: “Here’s to the next month.”
The message reinforces the political theme Burnham has sought to establish since entering Downing Street: combining longer-term economic and institutional reform with practical interventions intended to make an immediate difference to household finances and everyday life.
For Labour, the challenge in the months ahead will be turning the rapid series of early announcements into improvements that voters can see and feel — something Burnham himself acknowledged as he marked his first month in office.
