It’s day one of the long-anticipated Andy Burnham premiership, and his debut speech was perhaps more memorable for his decision not to use a lecturn outside Number 10 Downing Street to address the nation, in contrast with his many recent predecessors, a clear nod to his desire to “do things differently” and be a man of the people and natural communicator rather than a faceless member of the much-maligned “establishment,” although he did uncharacteristically wear a suit and tie, as pictured (in fairness though, he had just been at Buckingham Palace with the King.)
Indeed, in the absence of solid news lines, the lecturn issue was granted almost as many broadcast minutes on BBC News as his, admittedly scant, policy announcements later in the day, and many of us will now full much better educated on the style, purpose and development of the lecturn, and the lecturn choices of past PMs as a result.
In short (which his opener certainly was), Burnham – the former Greater Manchester Mayor and first PM to hail from the North in over 50 years since Huddersfield native Harold Wilson took up the hotseat for a second time in 1974 – largely gave an edited highlights of what he had already said when he was appointed Labour leader on Friday: More council houses, improved education, bring the welfare bill down, honour defence commitments, plus some fairly vague future promises of a 10-Year Plan (shades of Stalin for the right wing press to jump on there), tackling the cost of living crisis and a vow to “remake” UK politics.
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There was also some humility along with his more relaxed, lecturn-free communication style, admitting the “failure” of recent governments of both stripes: “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 – making this a moment for reflection and new resolution, said Burnham.
The reflection, predictably, has so far apparently focused on abstracts like “hope” and “change,” although there was a first policy announcement of sorts – Burnham declared that once he was done speaking “[I will] go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction – to end rough sleeping in our country.”
It’s not exactly detailed, but homelessness has been a long-running pet project programme for Burnham during his Manchester mayoralty – he gave 15% of his salary as mayor to a fund to tackle homelessness, and his A Bed Every Night programme in Manchester has reduce rough sleeping since launch in 2018, although not ended it as hoped, and recent figures suggest it’s on the way back up.
To be fair, Burnham has only been in the job about an hour, so it’s probably optimistic to expect a fully priced breakdown of his entire policy plan in his first big moment in front of the cameras, and he did promise more details tomorrow. While we wait then, what are regional business leaders hoping for from a Burnham premiership?
Paul Corcoran, Founder & CEO at Agent, was pleased to have a Northerner back in charge for the first time in half a century, not least because they’ll at least have an idea of the business reality for the 86.5% of the population who don’t live in London: “I’m genuinely excited by the prospect of a Prime Minister who understands the realities of running and growing businesses outside of London. It feels refreshing to have that perspective represented at the highest level,” he said.
“The biggest opportunity now is creating an environment where small and medium-sized businesses have the confidence to invest, innovate and grow. They’re the backbone of our economy, but too often they’re navigating uncertainty rather than focusing on expansion. Giving businesses the stability and support they need to recruit new talent, embrace new technologies and invest in their future will be critical to delivering good growth.”
Corcoran turned to a recent event of his own as a litmus test for business sentiment in the North: “At our recent Good Growth Summit, where we brought together more than 200 senior business leaders, the overwhelming message was that businesses want to be listened to. They want policies that reflect the realities they’re facing and give them the confidence to invest, whether that’s in innovation, new talent or the transition to net zero.
“The UK has no shortage of ambition or entrepreneurial talent. If the new government can create the conditions for businesses to succeed, encourage innovation, champion enterprise and work in genuine partnership with the business community, then there’s a real opportunity for the whole country to benefit.”
Gary Jenkins, MD of Warrington PR, search and discovery agency No Brainer, revisited the SME theme, with recent National Insurance rises coming in for particular criticism: “I’ll be looking for policies from the new Prime Minister that give SMEs the confidence to invest, recruit and grow. The last couple of years have been challenging enough without further increases to the cost of employing people, and the rise in employer National Insurance contributions has undoubtedly made expansion more difficult for many businesses.”
Digital skills and AI were also a key issue for Jenkins: “I’d like to see a clear commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, investment in digital skills and AI adoption. That’s as well as creating an environment where ambitious businesses can plan for the long term. Stability is hugely important. Most SMEs don’t expect governments to solve every problem, but they do need certainty and a tax system that encourages growth rather than making it harder to create jobs.”
Sue Benson, founder and CEO of Manchester’s The Behaviours Agency put a distinctly Northern slant on things, and was clearly hoping he could take some of his Manchester successes national in her other role as IPA Chair for England & Wales: “I’ve seen Andy Burnham talk on many occasions about the importance of the creative industries as an economic powerhouse for Manchester. He’s always been an incredible advocate for our work and our contribution as change makers, employers and growth drivers. I hope he will continue with the narrative around Global Creative clusters here in Greater Manchester and that he can also build this out nationally.”
Also looking at the national picture, Stephen Woodford, CEO at the Advertising Association, picked up on the fact that Burnham is a former Culture Minister – something of a rarity in a PM – and hoped this may colour his leadership: “Having previously served as Culture Secretary and championed advertising and the creative industries as Mayor of Greater Manchester, he has shown that he understands our sector is not just a cultural asset, but a powerful, nationwide engine of economic growth. Advertising was recognised in the latest GDP growth figures as one of the key sectors driving the 0.7% increase.”
He continued: “The UK advertising and marketing sector is a global powerhouse, contributing £108.6 billion in GVA to our economy, supporting 1.7 million jobs – with 60% of our directly employed workforce located outside of London – and driving a record £19.4 billion in exports. We are the creative sector that powers UK business growth, with 3.6 million UK businesses, large and small using advertising in 2025.”
Paul W. Fleming, general secretary of performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity, also focused on the economic case for the creative industries, while the imminent BBC Charter renewal was also a predictable focus: “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.”
For many Northerners, and particularly Mancunians, who have been closely following Burnham’s meteoric rise, Fleming’s recognition of Burnham’s “every postcode” promise will come as welcome relief with so much negative press around Burnham from a London-centric national media focused on Burnham wanting to “take everything up to Manchester” rather than simply “take some things out of London.”
The IPA’s Woodford was also on board with this: “As the Prime Minister begins his mission to deliver good growth across every postcode, we stand ready to partner with his government,” he said.
“Key to delivering our sector’s full potential is an evidence-based policy environment that drives competition and maintains the UK’s global position as an advertising superpower. To that end, we need government to promote innovation, protect our world-class self-regulatory system, and reform the Skills and Growth Levy to fund apprentice salaries. When advertising thrives, the entire UK economy grows.”
