Trade unions welcome new PM with advice and priorities for government

Trade unions have been reacting to Monday’s appointment of Andy Burnham as the new Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer – laying out their priorities and demands for a Labour government. 

In his first address outside 10 Downing Street, Burnham positioned his administration as a “cost of living government” focused on domestic stability. He shortly afterwards announced:

• A six-month removal of VAT from domestic electricity bills starting in October 2026, saving typical households roughly £45.
• An immediate directive on his first day aiming to completely end rough sleeping across the UK, backed by £340m in reallocated housing funds.
• A pledge to bring “life’s essentials” (such as regional transport and utilities) under public control and shift power away from Westminster by establishing a “No.10 North” office in Manchester
• A formal review into the government’s controversial early prisoner release scheme alongside his newly appointed justice secretary.

UNISON general secretary Andrea Egan said:

Andy Burnham has earned the legitimacy to lead and offers the first chance for tangible change in a long time.

His diagnosis of the UK’s problems is right, from privatisation to the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.

But we need policies to match. For the government to deliver real change it must be prepared to tax the super-rich, invest properly in public services and take key utilities into full public ownership.

It has to challenge the private companies benefiting from the status quo, or it won’t able to turn round social care and other parts of the public sector.

The same applies to outsourced services that must be systematically brought in-house as Labour promised.

Neither will ministers have the money to invest in our communities if they give in to pressure to increase spending on the military.

That’s why Andy Burnham must resist the temptation of caution and compromise. He’s already shown he’s prepared to take decisive action with his pledge to end the scourge of rough-sleeping.

He has to embrace more of the actions needed to deliver a historic new economic settlement.

As he’s pointed out, the public are impatient and this may be Labour’s last chance.

Usdaw leader Joanne Thomas paid tribute to Keir Starmer’s achievements as Prime Minister and set out Usdaw’s priorities for the new Government under Andy Burnham.

Keir Starmer has made an immense contribution to our movement, and we will always be grateful to him for turning around the Labour Party, after its worst defeat in living memory and securing a landslide election victory many said he couldn’t win.

Under his leadership, Labour has delivered the biggest uplift in workers’ rights for a generation. The Government increased the National Living Wage, introduced significant legislation to tackle retail crime and help prevent violence, threats and abuse against shop workers, strengthened security for renters by banning no-fault evictions, lifted millions of children out of poverty by ending the two-child limit on Universal Credit, reduced NHS waiting lists and rebuilt the UK’s reputation on the world stage. I thank Keir Starmer for his service and wish him every success in the future.

In his first speech as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham promised a new political and economic model that puts caring, fairness and working people at the heart of Government. His commitment to ending rough sleeping, building more council housing and bringing life’s essentials back under stronger public control are welcome steps.

We look forward to working with the new Government to deliver Labour’s New Deal for Working People in full. That means ending exploitative zero-hours contracts by giving all workers the right to a contract that reflects the hours they regularly work, banning fire and rehire, strengthening workplace rights and introducing restrictions on employers using technology to spy on their employees.

Paul Fleming, General Secretary of Equity, commented:

Following the kissing of hands today, we congratulate Andy Burnham on his appointment as Prime Minister.”

As it settles into office, his new administration will encounter many substantive issues to wrestle with relating to the arts and entertainment industries, whether BBC Charter Renewal, regulation of artificial intelligence, developing the creative industries industrial strategy, or tackling the crisis in arts funding. Alongside these sectoral issues, every Equity member is looking to a new administration to deliver meaningful changes on workers’ rights, insourcing, sectoral bargaining, and growth in every postcode.”

It is vital that whoever is driving arts and entertainment policy going forward recognises that our industries are critical economic sectors with mature industrial frameworks. They are fundamental to rebalancing our economy and driving growth from every tier of government, as well as UK exports, and soft power. This is not simply a ‘ministry for fun’, but one with a vital part to play in the future success of every part of the UK.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:

The National Education Union welcomes the appointment of the new Prime Minister and looks forward to working with him and his government.

Upon becoming Labour leader on Friday, Andy Burnham said his government would be all about delivering hope for every young person.

Educators will welcome this statement. Although teachers, support staff and school leaders do their best every day to achieve the very best outcomes for children and young people, after over a decade of austerity and chronic underfunding in our schools they feel that they are forced to do their jobs with one hand tied behind their backs. They have had enough of being told to do more with less.

Delivering hope will require an end to unfunded pay awards that do not value educators and only serve to fuel the retention crisis in education.

Delivering hope will mean that good intentions on SEND reforms are coupled with the investment that is so desperately needed to make them a success.

On Friday our national executive confirmed a formal ballot in the autumn on pay and funding. It is simply not sustainable to continue to underfund pay offers – it can only translate into cuts to learning. Schools are already on their knees.

As the academic year draws to a close, the new Prime Minister offers some hope for a fresh start and the delivery of the change that so many voters cried out for at the last election.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

We congratulate Andy Burnham on becoming Prime Minister.

His welcome commitment outside Downing Street to ‘investing in people’s success’ must start in childhood and in our schools.

It must mean more investment and support in schools, their leaders and their staff. Despite the progress that has been made during the first two years of this Labour government when it comes to funding, pay and action on poverty, too many schools are still struggling to deliver the support children deserve.

We welcome the new PM’s recognition that university is not for everyone, and that all young people need support to succeed. It’s important that any further changes to vocational options and routes are delivered in collaboration with schools and colleges, and build upon the changes being implemented as a result of the curriculum and assessment review.

Education is so important for children’s happiness, learning and life chances, and it must be prioritised by the new PM and across government from day one of his premiership.

TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, said:

Congratulations to Andy Burnham on becoming Prime Minister. Our union has heard his words on entering Downing Street and we will now judge him on his actions.

People up and down the country need a government that is prepared to invest in Britain’s future, and that starts with properly funding our transport infrastructure and creating the skilled, secure jobs our economy needs.

We are ready to work with Andy and his government to make that happen. This means expanding transport jobs, protecting and improving workers’ rights, pay, terms and conditions, and tackling the cost-of-living crisis that continues to put huge pressure on families.

If we work together we can build a transport network that works better for passengers, supports good jobs and helps deliver a fairer, more prosperous country.

Meanwhile, CWU General Secretary Dave Ward wrote in Tribune magazine:

With Andy Burnham’s rise, we have the chance to do things differently. For years, he has rightly argued that Britain has been on the wrong path for 40 years and has laid the blame where it belongs: with an economic model that has stolen wealth and power from workers and decimated many communities at the expense of private profit.

Unlike most politicians, Burnham recognises that Britain’s many social problems are the result of running this type of economy and knows that replacing it is the only way to get Britain back on its feet. He understands that you can’t deregulate your way to a better country or assume that wealth just trickles down. Instead, he has pushed for state intervention to tackle inequality, take control of public services, pursue further regional devolution, and reindustrialise the economy — a rare and brave position for a national politician.