Andy Burnham tonight broke his three-week silence in the House of Commons as the prime minister-in-waiting surfaced from his 'submarine mode'. In his first speech in the Commons since his return to Westminster, Mr Burnham thanked his 'friend' Keir Starmer for his work on the Hillsborough Law.He also paid tribute to Sir Keir's 'commitment to a country based on justice and fairness' – just days before he is due to replace the Prime Minister in Downing Street.Before Tuesday evening, Mr Burnham had not uttered a single word in the Commons since he was formally sworn in as the new Makerfield MP on June 22.The former Greater Manchester mayor has instead been busy securing his position as Sir Keir's successor as Labour leader and PM in behind-closed-doors meetings.Mr Burnham's decision to keep a low profile since ending his nine-year hiatus from the Commons prompted suggestions he had activated a 'submarine mode'.When he finally broke his silence on Tuesday – during a debate on what is officially known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill – Mr Burnham gave a gushing tribute to Sir Keir.The long-delayed Hillsborough Law will create a legally-enforceable duty of candour, which compels public officials and authorities to act transparently when investigations and inquiries take place. Andy Burnham broke his three-week silence in the House of Commons as the prime minister-in-waiting surfaced from his 'submarine mode' In his first speech in the Commons since his return to Westminster, Mr Burnham thanked his 'friend' Keir Starmer for his work on the Hillsborough Law Starmer seen in Parliament today between deputy PM David Lammy and victims minister Catherine AtkinsonIt takes its name from the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 when 97 Liverpool fans were killed at the football stadium in Sheffield in a crush during an FA Cup semi-final.After the disaster, key public servants, including the police, were found to have not told the truth about the decisions taken leading up to the fatal crush at the Leppings Lane end of the ground.Sir Keir once promised to introduce the Hillsborough Law before the 36th anniversary of the disaster in 2025, but missed his own deadline.The legislation was then delayed further amid concerns from the security services about how it could impact spies.But the Government has now reached a point where it believes employees and ex-employees of the intelligence services can be covered by a duty of candour without compromising national security.Mr Burnham said the Hillsborough Law will 'put decency back at the heart of the British state', adding that it will be Sir Keir's legacy as PM.'I hope it ends the cover-up culture that has failed so many ordinary people in this country,' he told the Commons.'We can never forget that for 20 years an entire English city was crying injustice correctly, and yet this place ignored them for all of that time. We cannot forget that, and we cannot take away the hurt that that caused.'Mr Burnham added: 'These families here tonight had to live with that for all of those years. Imagine what that must have felt like.'We have had a situation in this country where people suffer the trauma of the initial bereavement, the incident that took their loved ones away. Then they are re-traumatised by the behaviour of the state.'We can't take that hurt away tonight, but we can put decency back at the heart of the British state, and that is what this Bill does.'And I finish again by praising the Prime Minister for making it happen, and this truly is his legacy.'Merseyside-born Mr Burnham earlier said Hillsborough campaigners had called for a change in the law 'for others, not for themselves', as he described their efforts as 'so special'.'I cannot describe my pride in being in this House tonight to see this Bill plant the values of the city of my birth at the heart of this country,' he said.'And that is something of huge and profound significance that has been brought about by the Hillsborough families and we recognise the significance of that tonight.'Sir Keir also paid tribute to Hillsborough campaigners as he opened the Bill's third reading debate.'I come here today not to take credit for this Government or this House but as Prime Minister to put on our national record exactly where the credit belongs, because it belongs to the families and to the campaigners,' he said.'It is a Bill for every single working person in this country because, let's face it, there is a class element to this.'Time and again the cry for justice was ignored by the British state because of who the victims are – because they're working class, because they're black, because they're women and girls.'Sir Keir added: 'As we reach third reading, we stand on the precipice of change. This is a moment of real significance for our country.'