UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has congratulated Andy Burnham on becoming Britain’s new prime minister but said the country needs a leader who can make difficult decisions rather than “a people pleaser.”
In a statement posted on X on Monday, Badenoch wished Burnham success in office while making it clear that she would closely scrutinise his administration as Leader of the Opposition.
“Today, Britain has a new Prime Minister. I wish Andy Burnham every success. Because we need a Prime Minister and a Government focused on fixing the public’s priorities,” she wrote.
She added: “My job as Leader of the Opposition is to hold the Prime Minister to account, not to be his cheer leader. When he does the right thing, I will praise him.”
Badenoch also welcomed reports that Burnham plans to approve licences for the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas fields in the North Sea but urged him to go even further.
“In that spirit, I welcome press reports that Burnham plans to grant licences for the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas fields in the North Sea. But he must not stop there. He should end Ed Miliband’s destructive ban on new licences altogether. Let’s get Britain drilling so we can bring down the cost of energy,” she said.
The Conservative leader criticised Burnham for taking office without presenting what she described as a clear agenda for governing the country.
“Andy Burnham is becoming Prime Minister without having set out a clear plan for government. He has refused calls to come to Parliament to answer questions from MPs, meaning there won’t be a PMQs until September. He has avoided proper media scrutiny, giving an interview instead to Gary Lineker,” Badenoch said.
She concluded: “I have found Andy to be a nice man. But Britain needs a leader who can take difficult decisions, not a people pleaser.”
Badenoch also blamed the Labour Party for Britain’s current economic challenges, insisting that replacing Sir Keir Starmer would not automatically solve the country’s problems.
“The problem wasn’t just Keir Starmer, it was the whole Labour Party,” she said.
According to Badenoch, Starmer left office with “a growing welfare bill, higher unemployment, and increased energy costs,” adding that “the tax burden is killing economic growth, and making the cost of living worse for families.”
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