British Indian minister expects 'faster, bolder' reforms with Andy Burnham as UK PM

London, Jul 10 (PTI) A British Indian minister, an ally of PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham, on Friday offered a resounding vote of confidence in the incoming Labour Party leader who will succeed Keir Starmer as the UK Prime Minister in 10 days.  Burnham has hit the magic 323 MPs mark to be elected unopposed in the party election next week. "I think there will be two things that will be different under Andy Burnham," Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy told the BBC in response to questions about what is likely to change when a new PM is in place by July 20.  Nandy’s Wigan constituency neighbours Makerfield, where Burnham won a decisive by-election to set the leadership challenge in motion, which led to Starmer’s resignation last month.  "The first is that it will be faster and bolder, and he's willing to think very differently about how we deliver that change.  "Number 10 for the North has attracted a lot of interest, but that really is about shifting the centre of gravity in the country so that all parts of the country are seen and heard and are able to contribute.  "The second thing that will be different is we will wear our hearts on our sleeves more. I think people will see us taking the fight to any system that stands in the way of them living better lives," Nandy said.  The latter comment is seen as alluding to the criticism levelled at Starmer for failing to connect with voters and make the government's accomplishments resonate with the public. His Cabinet minister lauded the outgoing leader for setting things on the “right path” and then doing the "honourable thing” by stepping down, in the face of an “overwhelming consensus” that has built up behind Burnham as the leader to take the party forward to “deliver the change" Labour promised in the July 2024 general election. Nandy, herself a former Labour leadership contender, was among the names expected to contest again before she threw her weight behind Burnham – along with hundreds of other Labour Party colleagues. She is well-placed to remain in the top team under the new administration, with a likely ministerial promotion also in the offing. "He (Burnham) has not offered any jobs to anybody at this stage and I firmly believe that's the right thing to do," she said when asked about the new portfolios. One of the biggest pressures on the incoming leader will be finding much-needed funds to meet domestic needs and address the growing demands to hike the country's defence budget in the face of global turmoil. Indicating the possibility of tax rises, Nandy admitted some tough "choices in front of a new prime minister". "What I'm absolutely convinced about, having known him (Burnham) well now for 17 years, is that whether we fund defence is not going to be a question. The question will be how,” she said. Under the Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) timetable, Burnham could be formally declared the new Labour leader unopposed by July 17. However, he would not become Prime Minister until the Monday after because Starmer would need to formally tender his resignation to King Charles III, who would then invite Burnham to form a new government. On July 20, Burnham is set to take charge as Britain's seventh Prime Minister in a decade, with Starmer exiting 10 Downing Street after two years of leading Labour to a landslide general election win. PTI AK  ZH ZH