London —
Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham entered 10 Downing Street on Monday, making few detailed policy statements but offering plenty of clues about the nature of his premiership.
Optics mean a great deal in politics, so on Burnham’s first day in the job, he delivered bold pledges, without constraining himself to timelines, showcased a more informal style of leadership and brought with him a more upbeat mood to Downing Street.
Alongside lofty promises of change, welfare reform and devolution of power, Burham announced his first policy intervention – to tackle homelessness.
“I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country,” he said at the end of his first address as prime minister. Shortly afterward, his team announced an extra £340 million ($457 million) would be allocated as part of this drive.
