Andy Burnham's five pledges and a populist touch in his first speech as Labour leader

Andy Burnham, who will become prime minister on Monday, delivered his acceptance speech after winning the Labour leadership, emphasizing that he has a plan even if the specifics were unclear. The speech was marked by confident delivery, self-deprecating humor, and a populist tone that focused on unity rather than division.

Burnham proved to be a far better orator than his predecessor Keir Starmer. He touched on themes often used by right-wing populists, such as the decline of steelworks, mines, and shipyards, but instead of promising a return to manual labor, he pledged to support abandoned communities. References to football and hope echoed both Nigel Farage's pub-and-pints populism and left-wing variants.

The backbone of the speech consisted of five pledges. First, to end factionalism within the party. Second, to adopt a problem-solving rather than point-scoring approach. Third, to govern for the whole UK, not just his northwestern heartland. Fourth, to implement devolution of powers to regions. Fifth, and most radical, to be "more Labour" – a change he called the most significant in UK politics for 40 years. He said he would not try to out-Green the Greens or out-Reform Reform, but instead be authentically Labour.

Despite the bold claims, examples were few and general – such as returning political control to people and making essentials like water, housing, and transport more affordable with greater government control.

A passing remark early in the speech caught attention: Burnham claimed he had made no decisions about his cabinet yet. This is likely spin to reassure those bruised by Starmer's leadership, given he will take office in just days. If he truly has a plan, he must have an idea of who will deliver it.