Chris Mason: What his first week in power tells us about Andy Burnham
Political editor Chris Mason analyzes the first week of Andy Burnham's administration as Prime Minister. The piece examines his early policy announcements and his efforts to rebalance power toward the north of England.
Why it matters
It provides insight into the early governance style and strategic priorities of a new political administration in the UK.
Image source, Reuters By Chris Mason Political editor Published 24 July 2026, 13:12 BST Updated 2 minutes ago "We are on borrowed time if we don't get a move on," Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who is back in the cabinet this week as housing secretary, told the BBC's Today programme on Friday.
It has been quite the week at Westminster. Sir Keir Starmer's departure as prime minister on Monday seems rather a while ago.
The fledgling Burnham administration has been seeking to find its feet and make a decent first impression at the same time, as many try to do in the first days in a job.
There has been an early pattern in these early days: an early morning nugget of news dropping from No10.
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