Burnham attacks Brexit and Thatcher in first Commons speech
NEW PM Andy Burnham was accused of being stuck in the past today after using his first Commons speech to moan about Brexit and Margaret Thatcher.
TL;DR
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivered his first Commons speech, attributing Britain's issues to Brexit and 1980s policies, including Margaret Thatcher's legacy.
- Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, accused Burnham of being "stuck in the past" and wanting to return the country to the 1970s, contrasting this with the Conservatives' focus on the future.
- Badenoch criticized Labour's proposed policies as favoring "more government control, more spending, more tax, more politicians" and blamed Labour's tax rises for sluggish economic growth.
- Burnham described his "decade away from Westminster" as providing a "clear diagnosis" of the UK's problems, citing centralized political power, privatized economic power, and deindustrialization.
- The speech was noted for its subdued reception among some Labour MPs, with attention shifting to the significant challenges the Prime Minister faces in the upcoming autumn.
- Burnham also introduced a "triple helix approach" to economic development, aiming to integrate "business, academia, and government".